Pivoting Clinical Librarian Integration in the Wake of The Pandemic

Background: Prior to COVID-19, our library had multiple librarians actively rounding with clinical teams to assist with evidence-based clinical decision-making in patient care and involvement with weekly in-person didactics. Our library continues to serve health care providers clinically and through research support. An ongoing discussion at our library and others nearby centers on reintegration of in-person services, dependent on safety and support from programs. We outline how we have pivoted clinical librarian services in the wake of the pandemic, and our best tips for new and returning clinical librarians in a mid- and post-pandemic world.

Description: Since transitioning to virtual presence, we continue to maintain participation with clinical teams in a variety of formats to increase accessibility and attendance. Parallel to this, we have had discussions with other medical librarians regarding best practices in clinical services and how to become involved while serving in a virtual capacity. We suggest taking an active participatory role in didactics, using these as opportunities for effective teaching and “presence.” We also find checking in with rounding teams weekly by email or phone provides an opportunity to support residents, fellows, and attendings for challenging clinical questions. We anticipate that after the pandemic, our services will continue to expand and will incorporate new ways of reaching out and meeting the needs of our patrons. We will address responsible use of PPE, changes to rounding format and frequency, and changes to instruction methods.

Conclusion: Clinical rounding services will inevitably look different from pre-pandemic years after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. From a mid- and post-pandemic standpoint, we will address questions ways for librarians to continue to serve patrons in clinical settings, from continuing existing services in new formats to expansion into new service territories. We will discuss ways to work with our hospital’s departments to minimize threats of COVID-19 exposure to Clinical Librarians upon reintegration, and anticipated changes to rounding format, frequency, and procedures. We will also discuss ways to re-establish integration or create personal rapport for clinicians with whom we have only had virtual or intermittent communication, as this is a vital way for our library to stay current and relevant.