Critical librarianship in health sciences libraries: an introduction.

Area of Science:

• Library and Information Science
• Health Sciences Librarianship
• Critical Theory

Background:

• The Medical Library Association (MLA) has committed to diversity and inclusion.
• Critical librarianship extends these concepts to advocate for social justice and dismantle oppressive structures.
• These structures include white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism within institutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present examples of critical practice in libraries.
• To offer ideas for applying critical librarianship within health sciences.
• To highlight the importance of moving beyond diversity and inclusion towards social justice action.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of critical librarianship principles and applications.
• Analysis of existing critical practices in various library settings.
• Conceptual framework for applying critical librarianship to health sciences.

Main Results:

• Critical librarianship interrogates and disrupts inequitable systems.
• Examples include reforming racist cataloging, student-driven information literacy, and ethical publishing.
• Libraries are reframed as non-neutral spaces actively engaged in social justice.

Conclusions:

• Critical librarianship is essential for addressing systemic inequities in libraries.
• Its application in health sciences can promote social justice and dismantle oppressive structures.
• This approach moves beyond diversity and inclusion to actionable social change.