Integrating information services for dental schools into a health sciences library

Area of Science:

• Library and Information Science
• Dental Education
• Health Sciences Librarianship

Background:

• Dental school libraries require specific standards and resources.
• The integration of specialized libraries within larger health sciences libraries is an ongoing consideration.
• The current state of dental school libraries necessitates an evaluation of their operational models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss standards for dental school libraries.
• To weigh the advantages and disadvantages of merging dental libraries with health sciences libraries.
• To describe the experience of integrating a dental library into a larger biomedical library setting.

Main Methods:

• Review of dental library standards.
• Analysis of the pros and cons of combined library models.
• Case study of UCLA's Biomedical Library integration of dentistry, including collection development and service provision.

Main Results:

• The study outlines essential standards for dental libraries.
• Integration presents both opportunities (e.g., broader access) and challenges (e.g., specialized collection needs).
• UCLA's experience provides a model for collection management and service delivery in an integrated environment.

Conclusions:

• Effective dental library services require adherence to established standards.
• The decision to integrate requires careful consideration of resource allocation and user needs.
• Successful integration, as demonstrated by UCLA, can enhance access to information for dental and biomedical communities.