Mapping the pathways to health sciences librarianship: reflections and future implications from an immersion session.

Objective: Many health sciences librarians enter the profession without specific health sciences training. Some LIS programs have health sciences courses or tracks, but health sciences training within an LIS program is only one path to entering health sciences librarianship. To develop a map of path...

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Published in:Journal of the Medical Library Association Vol. 111; no. 4; pp. 802 - 811
Main Authors: Laynor, Gregory, Tagge, Natalie, Magro, Juliana, De Armond, Megan, Rau, Renée A., Vardell, Emily
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: University of Pittsburgh, University Library System Oct2023
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Oct2023
      vid: 111
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      pub: University of Pittsburgh, University Library System
      place: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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        173448961
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        10.5195/jmla.2023.1645
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        atl: Mapping the pathways to health sciences librarianship: reflections and future implications from an immersion session.
      aug:
        au:
          Laynor, Gregory
          Tagge, Natalie
          Magro, Juliana
          De Armond, Megan
          Rau, Renée A.
          Vardell, Emily
        affil: Assistant Curator & Systematic Review Librarian, NYU Health Sciences Library, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
      sug:
        subj:
          Health Sciences Librarianship
          Health Sciences Librarians
          Career Planning and Development
          Medical Library Association
          Reflection
          Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
          Libraries
          Human
          Group Processes
          Discussion
          Thematic Analysis
          Libraries, School Education
          Internship and Residency
          Information Science
          Mentorship
          Self-Directed Learning
          Education, Continuing
          Program Evaluation
          Professional Competence
      ab: Objective: Many health sciences librarians enter the profession without specific health sciences training. Some LIS programs have health sciences courses or tracks, but health sciences training within an LIS program is only one path to entering health sciences librarianship. To develop a map of pathways into health sciences librarianship, an immersion session at the Medical Library Association conference in 2022 asked health sciences librarians to share how they entered the profession. Methods: The immersion session was structured in three parts: facilitator introductions, small group discussions, and a whole group summary discussion. Guided by questions from the facilitators, small groups discussed what pathways currently exist, how to promote existing pathways, what new pathways should be created, and how to develop and promote pathways that make the profession more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. Results: Through in-the-moment thematic analysis of the small group discussions, the following emerged as key pathways: library school education; internships and practica; the Library and Information Science (LIS) pipeline; on-thejob training; mentoring; self-teaching/hands-on learning; and continuing education. Themes of equity, diversity, and inclusion arose throughout the session, especially in the concluding whole group discussion. Conclusion: Small group discussions in a conference immersion session showed the value of community building in a profession that has multiple pathways for entrance, highlighting the importance of unearthing hidden knowledge about avenues for exploring and enhancing career pathways. The article seeks to address barriers to entry into the profession and adds to the literature on strengthening the field of health sciences librarianship.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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