Oral history and the medical librarian

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the "oral history," as a technique for creating records or source materials for medical historians. The unique aspects of this technique include the ability to supplement the written record with candid commentary, to create a record or collection of information about an individual or a specific subject area in those instances where a prior record does not exist, and to capture a sample of the personality of the person being interviewed by preservation of the tape recording.There is a lack of unanimity regarding the definition, limits, and goals of oral history. Some individuals insist that the oral historian must in fact be a trained historian and deplore the thought of librarians utilizing this technique.It is the feeling of the author that the interviewer's professional "label" is frequently unimportant, if that individual has prepared himself adequately for the interview. The ideal set of circumstances which combines the oral history memoir with the acquisition and review of the respondent's papers can be handled well by the librarian with the interest and time to conduct such a program.There is general agreement that the time has come when reasonable standards for this technique must be developed if the various programs are to command the interest and respect of those who will use these increasing collections of data. On a more practical level, it is only natural that those who are asked to provide financial support for oral history programs will demand evidence of attention to some sort of standards.     

The librarian and the scientist

Science librarians should serve as full-fledged members of teams pursuing scientific research. The significance of the concept is interpreted in terms of trends characteristic of contemporary exploratory work. In the light of these considerations, reference is made to educational objectives in the field of librarianship, and to current thinking in the profession.     

Burnout and the academic teaching librarian: an examination of the problem and suggested solutions

Research indicates significant levels of burnout in academic teaching librarians. This article describes parallels with other “helping professions” and examines characteristics, causes, and solutions of burnout, inside and outside the classroom. Solutions should be sought in research on similar professions and their effectiveness should be measured.     

The grass was greener in the good old days: The “crisis” of out-of-print books

Are books going out of print faster than they used to? Or is this merely an illusion born of nostalgia or discontent? A brief statistical analysis of the data provides the answer.     

The medical librarian and computer-assisted instruction

The requirements for a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) system in terms of hardware, communications, software, and personnel are discussed, and unique characteristics of CAI are reviewed. Current CAI applications in the medical field include programs in undergraduate medical and dental education, training of nurses and physical therapists, units for interns and residents, and continuing education for physicians. Certain problems exist in the current state of the art, however, including unsatisfactory aspects of each of the system components. The potential role of the medical librarian as a member of a CAI personnel team is explored, and contributions he can make in program development, monitoring, and evaluation are suggested. Medical librarians may themselves have opportunities in the future to use CAI to develop library skills and special subject knowledge. It is proposed that introduction of CAI may have the additional benefit of encouraging increased use of on-line bibliographic retrieval systems.     

馆长与图书馆服务文化

本综述了图书馆服务化的概念，阐述图书馆服务化在图书馆的现状，论述图书馆领导必须重视服务化，以及图书馆领导如何在构建服务化中发挥主导作用。     

The librarian as a member of the education department team: using web 2.0 technologies to improve access to education materials and information

The part-time solo librarian at St. James Healthcare in Butte, Montana, serves physicians, staff, patients, and other health care professionals in the area. The library is part of the Education Department within the hospital's organizational structure. Recent developments have expanded the requirements of the Education Department, creating new challenges. The librarian is a member of the team developing solutions to the many ways that continuing education needs have to be met for the staff and physicians. A free website that houses education information and material is one of the projects that has been created and is maintained by the librarian.     

The systematic review team: contributions of the health sciences librarian

While the role of the librarian as an expert searcher in the systematic review process is widely recognized, librarians also can be enlisted to help systematic review teams with other challenges. This article reviews the contributions of librarians to systematic reviews, including communicating methods of the review process, collaboratively formulating the research question and exclusion criteria, formulating the search strategy on a variety of databases, documenting the searches, record keeping, and writing the search methodology. It also discusses challenges encountered such as irregular timelines, providing education, communication, and learning new technologies for record keeping. Rewards include building relationships with researchers, expanding professional expertise, and receiving recognition for contributions to health care outcomes.     

The librarian as research informationist: a case study

Question:

How can an embedded research informationist add value to the scientific output of research teams?

Setting:

The University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library is an academic health sciences library serving the clinical, educational, and research needs of the UCLA community.

Methods:

A grant from the National Library of Medicine funded a librarian to join a UCLA research team as an informationist. The informationist meets regularly with the research team and provides guidance related to data management, preservation, and other information-related issues.

Main Results:

Early results suggest that the informationist''s involvement has influenced the team''s data gathering, storage, and curation methods. The UCLA Library has also changed the librarian''s title to research informationist to reflect the new activities that she performs.

Conclusion:

The research informationist role provides an opportunity for librarians to become effective members of research teams and improve research output.     

"学科馆员"制度的管理模式探析

学科馆员制度的发展依赖完善的管理体制。图书馆领导应充分发挥决策、计划、组织、领导、控制的管理职能，努力创造人性化的服务经营理念，合理进行人力、物力、财力的配置，建立一个健全的管理体制，使学科馆员团队发挥最大效率，为教学科研提供深层次服务。