Health Sciences Librarian

Health sciences librarians are information specialists. They provide health professionals from a variety of disciplines with the latest information on diseases, procedures, treatments, and research. They select and maintain medical books, journals, and audiovisual materials and also provide computer database searches. They are librarians who have chosen to work in a specialized area of library science. A health sciences librarian works closely with other professionals, who often rely on the librarian to search and retrieve vital information.

Work Environment
Health sciences librarians most often work in medical centers or hospitals. Other locations include medical, dental, veterinary, and allied health schools; health professional organizations; research facilities; pharmaceutical firms; and government agencies.

Job Outlook
Health sciences information management is a growing field with a positive job outlook. As the number of professional health workers grows, the need for health sciences librarians will also increase.

Length of Training/
Requirements
The basic educational requirements are a bachelor's degree in either liberal arts or a life science and a master's degree in library science from a school accredited by the American Library Association. Additional knowledge related to the medical field should be acquired-for example, understanding of biomedical references, principles of organization of information in the biomedical sciences, and online computer databases such as MEDLINE from the National Library of Medicine.

Salary
Salary depends on education, geography, job setting, and experience. Current salaries range from $38,000 - $70,000.

Professional Associations
American Library Association
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
312/944-6780
Fax: 312/280-3255

Texas Library Association
3355 Bee Caves Rd., Ste. 401
Austin, TX 78746-6763
512/328-1518
Fax: 512/328-0651