Jean P. Shipman

Why emerging roles for health sciences librarians

Health sciences librarians no longer find themselves only staffing reference desks or building collections. Their activities range from being active participants in health‐care teams to providing training to the general public. Emerging roles are surfacing in all arenas served by health sciences libraries: educational, clinical, research, and administration. Librarians are meeting new skill demands by re‐educating both on the job and through traditional coursework. New types of positions are being explored and new partnerships with health‐care colleagues are being forged. This article highlights the reasons why these new opportunities exist and provides references to articles contained within this journal issue.

Document delivery suppliers Web page

ABSTRACT As an alternative to ownership, more libraries are employing the services of commercial document delivery suppliers to obtain needed items on demand. Keeping track of the different services can be time-consuming. A World Wide Web page was developed to track similar information about various suppliers. The page is located at (http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/pnr/docsupp/). This article provides the history of why this page exists, how it was created and what kind of information it provides.

Understanding Research Impact: A Review of Existing and Emerging Tools for Nursing

Researchers and educators are required to show the impact they have in their field when they apply for promotion or extramural funding. There are several tools available for nursing faculty to consult as they build a research impact profile. This article highlights both traditional and more novel tools, the impact metrics they calculate, and why the tools are particularly relevant to the field of nursing.

Spaces that support redefined roles of academic health sciences librarians.

Libraries are clearly in a state of transition, and library space is also being shaped by new librarian roles. As illustrated in this years building project column, space is rapidly being redefined in new and exciting ways. In some cases, library space is being transformed into community spaces such as cafes, galleries, and exhibit areas; health sciences libraries are quickly catching up to public and academic libraries that have pioneered these types of facilities and services. In others, library space is being used to solidify partnerships between library staff and other academic personnel collectively working on projects, grants, or other strategic alliances. In these cases, space is leveraged to the librarys advantage by inviting in partners who share similar goals and objectives. Sharing space allows experts from different backgrounds and disciplines to share their knowledge and develop collaborative projects. Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) units and innovation centers are prime examples of these expert partnerships. Locating library staff adjacent to these experts has enabled them to share their knowledge and contribute to the shared projects as well. And finally, libraries can be spaces for discovery and creation of new knowledge in a much broader sense. They can be part of the larger learning or teaching center, providing study areas, test centers, laboratories, simulation centers, group collaboration facilities, and research evidence. Academic health sciences librarians and libraries need to remain agile as well as responsive to the needs of their organizations; for only then will they remain relevant. Four academic health sciences libraries exemplify the transformations that are underway. The University of Colorado is a fine example of a library that has created community space. They opened their library to the general community by establishing an art gallery for exhibits of works by local and visiting artists. The University of Utah invited their CTSA personnel into the library space to better support their researchers. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has an exciting new innovation center that encourages conversations about difficult or thorny topics. Their Edge of Chaos provides a place where all types of university personnel can collaborate to reach creative solutions to issues. All three descriptions of the resulting space supporting new roles for librarians can serve as models for how housing nonlibrary projects in library space can meet with success. Finally, the University of Arizona has strategically placed its new Phoenix library in a health sciences education building, next to an educational teaching lab, clinical education suites, and a simulation center. Their success in fully integrating their new library into a health education building provides a model of how a primarily electronic library collection complemented with librarian expertise can support the information needs of a new campus. Connecting community to campus through gallery space Submitted by Melissa De Santis, MLIS, AHIP, and Gerald J. Perry, MLS, AHIP; Health Sciences Library, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO

Partnering with the community: a Women's Health Network for multicultural communities

ABSTRACT The Womens Health Network for Minority Consumer Health Outreach (WHN) facilitates access to culturally and linguistically appropriate consumer health information. WHN is a partnership of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System, the VCU Libraries Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, VCU School of Nursing, REACH (consortium of health providers), and the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Computers were placed in five community locations where staff were trained to search for and evaluate health Web sites and use appropriate resources (e.g., MedlinePlus). Products included a Web site, health education lectures, and promotional exhibits at various community events. A community group regularly advises program directors.

Space Challenges: Collaborations and Collisions Create Change

Special Libraries, Special Challenges is a column dedicated to exploring the unique public services challenges that arise in libraries that specialize in a particular subject, such as law, medicine, business, and so forth. In each column, the author will discuss public service dilemmas and solutions that arise specifically in given subject libraries while drawing links to how such issues affect librarianship in general. Special or subject-matter librarians interested in authoring a piece for this column are invited to contact Ilana Stonebraker at stonebraker@purdue.edu.

International health sciences library perspectives

Editors’ note: With the theme of MLA 913, the Medical Library Association 2013 annual meeting, ‘‘One Health: Information in an Interdependent World’’ in mind, we dedicate this year’s Building Projects in Health Sciences Libraries column to library construction and renovation projects that have taken place outside of the United States. As evidenced by the examples in this year’s column, projects in other countries have many similarities with those in the United States. Library spaces throughout the world are becoming community hubs for their organizations’ personnel. They are providing collaborative and immersion spaces for groups to share ideas and to create and transfer knowledge. Print collection footprints are being reduced as digital information dominates, leading to the ability to invite others into expanded library space to engage and interact. Light, refreshing, and welcoming library environments enhance users’ experiences and encourage these innovative collaborations and synergies.