Health information professionals: delivering core services and value in extraordinary times

Area of Science:

• Health Librarianship
• Information Science
• Knowledge Management

Background:

• The 2020 CILIP Health Libraries Group Conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A virtual issue was created to align with the conference themes.
• The virtual issue draws from Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ) articles published between 2018 and March 2020.

Discussion:

• The virtual issue explores key themes: Working in Partnership, Resilience and Well-being, Public and Patient Involvement, Quality Impact and Metrics, and Improvement and Innovation.
• Articles were selected to reflect the core values of the Health Information and Libraries (HIL) profession, emphasizing relevant, timely, and sustainable information services.
• The content aims to meet and exceed professional goals, encapsulated by the conference theme 'not your average day in the office'.

Key Insights:

• The virtual issue includes a review article, four original research articles, and three feature articles ('Dissertations into Practice', 'International Perspectives and Initiatives', 'Teaching and Learning in Action').
• Contributions represent a diverse international authorship from Canada, China, Croatia, Sweden, and the UK.
• All selected articles are readily accessible online.

Outlook:

• This virtual issue serves as a valuable resource for health information professionals, offering insights into current practices and future directions.
• It underscores the adaptability and continued relevance of health library services in the face of global challenges.
• The collection promotes the sharing of best practices and innovative approaches in health librarianship worldwide.