Taking Chances: A New Librarian and Curriculum Redesign

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Sciences Librarianship
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Technology integration is transforming medical school curriculum design and delivery.
• Health sciences librarians have opportunities to actively participate in curriculum development.
• A new librarian at Michigan State University Libraries sought to expand her role beyond traditional duties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore emerging opportunities for health sciences librarians in medical school curriculum design.
• To document the process and outcomes of a librarian's engagement in curriculum development.
• To highlight the potential for librarians to contribute to innovative educational models.

Main Methods:

• A new medical librarian proactively engaged with the user base to identify needs and opportunities.
• The librarian acquired new skills relevant to curriculum design and information management.
• The librarian collaborated on projects including copyright education, license agreement amendments, and taxonomy building for curriculum mapping.

Main Results:

• The librarian became a key partner in copyright education, ensuring compliance for multimedia use.
• License agreements were amended to facilitate enhanced use of multimedia resources in the curriculum.
• Taxonomy building was utilized to facilitate curriculum mapping, creating an informational foundation for a new curriculum.
• New curricular roles for the librarian were established within the medical education program.

Conclusions:

• Health sciences librarians can play a vital role in the design and implementation of modern medical curricula.
• Proactive engagement, skill development, and collaboration enable librarians to contribute significantly to educational innovation.
• The librarian's involvement facilitated the creation of a novel hybrid medical education curriculum, demonstrating expanded professional responsibilities.