The Informationist or Information Specialist in Context: is this a New Model for Medical Librarians?

• Published in: Igaku Toshokan Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 14 - 19
• Main Authors: DETLEFSEN, Ellen Gay, SAKAI, Yukiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Medical Library Association 2007
• Subjects: Clinical Medical Librarian; Health Information Professionals; Information Specialist in Context; Informationist; ISIC; Medical Librarians
• ISSN: 0445-2429; 1884-5622
• DOI: 10.7142/igakutoshokan.54.14

This paper describes the informationist, an individual who provides specialized information services in the context of a clinical, research, public health, or consumer setting. Informationists generally have added qualifications, earned through education and/or experience, which enable them to serve to work collaboratively with health professionals to meet information needs that arise during direct patient care and medical research. The paper describes the evolution of the term “informationist”, and discusses the efforts of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the U.S. Medical Library Association to develop and support informationist training. MLA uses the term “information specialist in context” or ISIC to describe the informationist. Noting that no single title for these new information professionals exists, the paper presents profiles of eight informationists or ISICs, who are employed in clinical settings, academic departments, hospitals, and research projects. The paper raises the provocative question of whether the informationist is just another label for the more traditional role of clinical medical librarian or whether it is a new role to which medical librarians can aspire. The final caution is that, while some individuals are already pursuing educational pathways to become, or even making careers as, informationists, the concept is still evolving.