Systems Librarians in Medical Libraries: A Proposed Curriculum

ABSTRACTThe increasing growth in using new technologies in libraries draws attention to the absence of someone who, based on knowledge and experience in both fields of librarianship and computer science, can act to manage present technology and make plans, using future technologies. To this end, research was carried out to delineate the significance of the role of a systems librarian in the fields of librarianship and medical information and to develop a proposed model. This study was carried out in two phases: First, related literature (both printed and electronic) describing characteristics of a systems librarian was reviewed. Subsequently, opinions from experts in related information fields were elicited. Data collected revealed that the responsibilities of a systems librarian in a library includes not only technology management but also selecting, purchasing, installing, and maintaining hardware and software, teaching librarians and library users to work with new technologies, budget allocation and pr...