History of the
UMKC Clinical Medicine Librarian Program
The Present and Future
Clinical Medical Librarians now work in many medical environments, bringing knowledge-based
information services into the clinical setting. The UMKC Clinical Medical Librarians fill
many roles, in and out of the Medical Center, the Health Sciences Library, and the School of
Medicine, and continue to offer knowledge-based information support in service of the goals
of the UMKC School of Medicine.
How does Clinical Medical Librarianship differ from traditional medical reference work?
- Visibility. By attending rounds, the CML is on hand when a clinical question arises.
Other clinicians passing the CML in the hospital corridors often remember a question they had
forgotten to pursue with the library.
- Anticipated questions. Because the CML is there when a clinical case is under discussion,
the CML may recognize and respond to an information need that is never formally voiced or
requested directly.
- The reference interview. Because the CML is picking up questions "on the fly" there
may not be an opportunity for a formal reference interview. Careful attention to case
presentations and subsequent discussions is necessary to pick up the pertinent details.
- The opportunity to learn. The CML sees medical problem-solving and decision-making
take place, in the actions and the informal, abbreviated language of the health care practitioner.
This gives the CML an opportunity to learn how knowledge-based information is used, and
to understand clinician's requests more clearly.
With the increased use of World Wide Web and email resources, those medical reference
librarians who remain in the library are able to extend their knowledged-based
services into the clinical settings, onto their clientele's desktops. Now is the time
when all medical librarians can reach beyond the physical walls of the library to
demonstrate how
we can contribute to better health care by providing access to our services
at the point of use.
Go back to the History of the UMKC CML home page.
Go to the Clinical Medical Librarian Bibliography
http://research.med.umkc.edu/teams/cml/CMLhist.html updated 5/98 by
B. R. Pfannenstiel, MALS, MA