Global trends health science libraries: Part 2

Abstract

This is the second of three articles which explore trends in health science libraries. It is based on a series of articles called New Directions in Health Science Libraries published in a HILJ regular feature (International Perspectives and Initiatives) between June 2017 and March 2020. The series covered 12 countries: The United States, Canada, Australia, China, England, two countries in Africa (Uganda and Tanzania) and five in Europe (Sweden, Romania, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland). The commissioning editor identified potential authors and invited them to write a short piece. They were given a briefing sheet which said: ‘Your article should serve as a road map, describing the key changes in the field and explain the factors driving the changes’. A review of the 12 articles identified 11 trends. This is the article which explores the trends four trends, using examples provided by the authors. The trends covered are: Involvement in systematic reviews and data synthesis; Professional development for health science librarians; Providing education and training to students, researchers, and clinicians; Supporting the delivery of health literacy.

The historical development and current landscape of health library standards: A critical review

“…These dynamics are among the key trends in health libraries identified in Murphy's study (2021, 2022a, 2022b), which concludes a series of analyses on this topic developed between 2017 and 2020 by experts from 12 countries on five continents.…”