Related Experiment Videos
Summary
Medical librarians face challenges selecting books due to the high volume published. This study assessed the availability, timeliness, and accessibility of medical book reviews to aid librarians in their selection process.
Area of Science:
- Medical librarianship
- Publishing industry
- Information science
Background:
- The proliferation of medical literature presents significant challenges for medical librarians tasked with curating relevant collections.
- Book reviews are recognized as a valuable resource to assist librarians in the medical book selection process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the availability, timeliness, and accessibility of medical book reviews for medical librarians.
- To understand the landscape of medical book review publication and dissemination in 1981.
Main Methods:
- A systematic study of medical book reviews published in a selected group of medical journals during 1981.
- Distribution of questionnaires to medical book publishers and the book review editors of the selected journals.
Main Results:
- Analysis of the availability and publication patterns of medical book reviews in 1981.
- Data collected from publishers and journal editors regarding their perspectives on book review practices.
Conclusions:
- Findings provide insights into the utility and accessibility of book reviews for medical librarianship.
- The study highlights areas for potential improvement in the dissemination of medical book reviews to support collection development.