Objectives: Academic and medical libraries play a significant role to students, residents, physicians, and the communities they serve and their existence is fundamental to the development of knowledgeable practitioners. Academic health education centers (AHECs) libraries also play a pivotal part in the maturation of successful physicians and health care professionals when it comes to the development of knowledge and gathering of information. The problem, at hand, however, is that AHEC libraries seem to be disappearing without a trace. A recent analysis of several Southern AHECs has revealed this.
Methods: In order to determine how many AHECs still (or ever) had libraries, a survey was created and will be distributed electronically to the over 300 area health education centers in the United States. Respondents will be invited to share knowledge of their institutions’ history in relation to area health education center libraries. Responses will be analyzed for similarities and differences in an effort to find a distinguishable pattern.
Results: The survey is awaiting IRB approval as of abstract submission. Once research is completed, results will be documented and stored in a way that future historians and researchers can utilize the data.
Conclusions: All conclusions found will be presented at the meeting.
.png)
