Irish health libraries: new directions. Report on the Status of Health Librarianship Libraries in Ireland (SHeLLI )

摘要

Health librarians in Ireland face significant challenges. The country’s financial crisis means that the resources needed to support professional development, to maintain knowledge-based information resources and to overcome existing gaps in service provision will be hard won. This report argues that, despite these difficulties, health librarians in Ireland have the capacity to match international best practice and to continue to make a significant contribution to Irish health care. For this capacity to be realised, health librarians must see that the diverse and valuable role they currently playudin the health system is fully recognised. Greater advocacy and systematic evaluation ofudhealth libraries will provide the evidence base that will consolidate the supportive view of the profession held by stakeholders and academia. It is essential to leverage this support so that health librarians can fully play their role in the development of an efficient, evidence-based and progressive health service in Ireland.