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Inquiring Informationists: A Qualitative Exploration of Our Role
Rex R Robison1, Mary E Ryan, I Diane Cooper
1National Institutes of Health Library, Bethesda, MD,
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
|September 15, 2009
Summary
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library informationist program helps researchers by providing access to information resources and training. Informationists save researchers time and increase efficiency by finding needed resources and integrating into research teams.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Informatics
- Library and Information Science
Background:
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Library established an informationist program in 2001.
- This program embeds librarians with expertise in biomedicine and information science within research teams.
- The program aims to improve researchers' access to and utilization of information resources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the impact of the NIH Library's informationist program.
- To provide foundational data for future program evaluations.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative interviews were conducted with key informants from user groups.
- Subjects were selected to represent diverse activities and NIH groups.
- Recurring themes were extracted from interview data.
Main Results:
- Informationists were valued for their expertise in library resources and rapid information retrieval.
- They assisted researchers by finding resources, providing instruction, and acting as team members.
- The program led to increased self-reported library use, often facilitated by the informationist.
Conclusions:
- Informationists save researcher time by efficiently obtaining information and locating specialized resources.
- Integration into research teams appears crucial for the program's success.
- This study offers insights for more comprehensive future evaluations.
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