Health System Growth and the Effects on Academic Libraries – A Pilot Study

Objectives: The growth of health systems effects libraries in multiple ways: 1. adds to the number of beds as well as the physical locations, 2: adds to the number of physicians, residents, primary caregivers and other allied health care workers as well as general staff and 3: these additions can impact technology and budgets as well as library services and collections. This pilot study aims to gather and analyze specifically what are the barriers, challenges, misunderstandings and successes to academic libraries affiliated with growing health systems and to evaluate whether a larger study would be beneficial to the profession.

Methods: A qualitative focus group with 4 library directors (or their designate) will occur. The focus group will be over Zoom and will not be recorded but the facilitator will document the data shared. The research will be analyzed for common denominators and to look at whether a larger study should be undertaken. This research is important to academic library leaders that need to adhere to resource contracts and balance budgets but as well to liaisons who are in the tough position of having to evaluate who they can help and what they can do within the agreements set forth by such institutions. The Association of Academic Health Science Libraries (AAHSL) currently has a task force looking at best practices for libraries in growing health systems and agreed this pilot study was complementary to their work and not duplicate.

Results: Growing health systems create a variety of challenges for academic libraries. Those areas affected by this growth include: technology and systems, communications, politics, collections, services and funding. The findings show that a larger scale survey to collect date more broadly would be beneficial as each institution is so unique in its approach to these issues.

Conclusions: The findings show that further large scale research needs to be done but also there are many smaller facets that would benefit from exploration as well. Specific questions about best practices for licensing resources have been tackled by AAHSL but many technology and services challenges are among the questions that still need to be studied. Questions such as who is responsible for being the gatekeeper to library access? Which services are provided to all vs affiliates vs clinical patrons?