Overview

Medical librarians are an integral part of the healthcare team. They have a direct impact on the quality of patient care, by helping physicians, allied health professionals, and researchers to stay abreast of new developments in their specialty areas. They also work closely with patients and consumers who are seeking authoritative health information.

Medical librarians often serve on the faculty of healthcare and biomedical degree programs, where they teach healthcare providers how to access and evaluate information and contribute expertise on a variety of topics. They also may serve on university or pharmaceutical company research teams, where they can have an impact on the development of new treatments, products and services.

Medical librarians provide access to resources in a variety of formats, ranging from traditional print to electronic sources and data. They design and manage websites, Internet blogs, distance education programs and digital libraries. They conduct outreach programs to public health departments, consumers, off-site students and unaffiliated healthcare providers.

Medical librarians work closely with a variety of personnel within the library to accomplish day-to-day tasks. They also collaborate with colleagues in a variety of institution-related tasks, such as fundraising, marketing, business, and information technology systems.

Informationists, a new role for medical librarians, are experts with training in both information science and clinical/biomedical science. They retrieve and synthesize information and work in clinical or research settings.

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Medical Librarian 14 May 2008 [pdf, 181 KB]

For more information on becoming a medical librarian, visit the Medical Library Association website. Another resource is the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries.

Working Conditions

Medical librarians are employed anywhere health information is needed. Employment settings include colleges, universities, hospitals, academic health centers, clinics, professional schools, consumer health libraries, research centers, foundations, biotechnology centers, insurance companies, medical equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, publishers and federal, state and local government agencies.

Some medical librarians work in non-traditional library settings such as Internet companies, where they select, index and organize information on the Web. Others are directors of large hospital or academic health center libraries. They often serve as Chief Information Officers for healthcare organizations. In academic settings, medical librarians tend to hold positions of broad responsibility and high visibility -- i.e., as associate university librarians, deans or associate deans.

Salaries vary according to the type and location of the institution, level of responsibility and technical skill, and length of employment. According to the Medical Library Association, the starting salary is over $40,000/year, and the average is close to $58,000. Library Directors earn up to $158,000.

As with other healthcare professions, a high percentage (50%) of medical librarians will be retiring over the next ten years. This creates a positive job market with a wide variety of available positions.