2022 Janet Doe Lecture, health science libraries in the emerging digital information era: charting the course

Abstract

The great challenge medical library professionals are facing is how we evolve and respond to the emerging digital era.  If we successfully understand and adapt to the emerging digital information environment, medical librarians/Health Information Professionals (HIPs) can play an even greater role in the advance in the health care of our nation and its residents. The opportunities and challenges are at the level we successfully responded to in the late 1960’s and the 1970’s under the leadership of the National Library of Medicine with its MEDLARS/Medline programs and Medical Library Assistance Act which enabled medical libraries to enter what I have referred to as The Golden Age of Medical Libraries. In this presentation, I focused on the transition of the health related print Knowledge-Based Information base to the emerging digital health related ecosystem.  I review how this transition is being driven by evolving information technology. The development of “data driven health care” built on this emerging information ecosystem is being led by the National Library of Medicine’s 2017-2027 Strategic plan and the Medical Library Association’s programs in support of developing medical librarian/HIP’s training, skills, and services to support their users access and use of this rapidly expanding health information ecosystem.  I then present a brief description of the digital health information ecosystem that is just starting to emerge and the emerging new roles and services HIPs and their libraries are developing to support effective institutional access and use.