Journal of the Medical Library Association

Operational developments at the Journal of the Medical Library Association: improved production timelines, new policy introduction, and senior editorial team updates

2025-07-31T13:46:47-04:00

In our editorial in the January/April 2023 issue of JMLA, we spoke of the challenges we faced when we took on the co-lead editor roles. At the end of that editorial, we stated our intention to get the publishing schedule back on track and to finally tackle other projects. And while it took us some time to report it, we are pleased to share that, in the publication year of 2024, JMLA resumed its regular quarterly publishing schedule.

Thank you to the Journal of the Medical Library Association reviewers in 2024

2025-03-05T13:17:56-05:00

We sincerely thank the peer reviewers in 2024 who helped evaluate and improve the quality of work published in the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA).

Enabling discovery of the social determinants of health: using a specialized lens to see beyond the surface

2025-02-25T11:16:28-05:00

Background: Investigators encounter challenges in uncovering valuable studies when they are researching health disparities and minority health literature. This evidence scan and qualitative/quantitative crosswalk analysis looked at maternal health literature to gain a better understanding of the nuances in articulating the social determinates of health (SDoH) concepts aligned with the NIMHD Research Framework. SDoH concepts describe the multifaceted causes of health disparities, as opposed to effects that result in health outcomes.

Methods: An evidence scan was conducted to identify literature for a health disparity population using infant low birth weight as a sample population. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of results was performed to examine the medical subject headings (MeSH) terms used to index the literature, along with the terminology used to describe various concepts related to the SDoH within the literature. A crosswalk of MeSH terms to SDoH concepts was used to see if a concentrated focus on SDoH concepts would improve discoverability of the literature.

Results: The 31 articles selected demonstrated that 80% of the MeSH indexed keywords are unique within this collection of full text articles, despite the commonality of the topic. VOSviewer and a Python term counting program were used to visualize the diffusion of terminology. NVivo textual analysis revealed SDoH concepts within meaningful phrases within the literature. Major SDoH themes emerged from the analysis, although were not indexed. Authors used a crosswalk approach with SDoH concepts, to demonstrate that MeSH terms could be used to identify content with a more granular SDoH focus.

Conclusion: Identifying literature that has SDoH concepts within the full text is difficult, due to the diffused nature of the terminology used to describe these concepts. This paper proposes to demonstrate how a crosswalk approach from MeSH terminology to SDoH concepts can provide a methodology for improving the discoverability of the literature. New technologies such as natural language processing, combined with existing technologies to normalize disparate ways of describing similar or related constructs, could be used to help discover and synthesize literature related to SDoH. Investigators, indexers, and librarians can work together to create an improved process for researchers.

Urban Health: A Practical Application For Clinical-Based Learning

2025-02-16T19:39:22-05:00

Book Review: Basic Law and Ethics for Nursing: Patients, Rights and Decision Making

2025-02-10T23:57:20-05:00

A decade of Does: celebrating the 125th anniversary of MLA through an annual meeting conversation with past Janet Doe lecturers

2025-01-07T15:12:54-05:00

At the Medical Library Association (MLA) 2024 Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, the Janet Doe Lectureship Series plenary session featured a panel of past Doe lecturers from the last decade. Reflecting on their lectures they were challenged to imagine how the Association’s Core Values could guide and inform decision making in response to current and emerging challenges to the profession and in the environment. Panelists’ reflections included themes of inclusivity, collaboration, leadership, technology, space planning, and the role of medical librarians in addressing issues of mis- and disinformation, bias, equity, and open access, today and in the future. Common themes included the centrality of collaboration as a necessary component of health sciences librarianship, and the ongoing criticality of the profession’s commitment to ethical practices. The panelists shared insights on how MLA's Core Values can guide the profession and association through the challenges and opportunities of the evolving healthcare and information landscape, including the rise and the rapid evolution of advanced technologies.

Book Review: Bye Bye I Love You: The Story of Our First and Last Words

2024-12-31T09:58:27-05:00

Biomedical Image Analysis Special Applications in MRIs and CT Scans

2024-10-27T12:55:42-04:00

Biomedical Image Analysis Special Applications in MRIs and CT Scans is a part of the Brain Informatics of Health (BIH) Book series. This book covers the fundamental theory of these techniques and their practical applications through various examples, presented in a straightforward manner without complex mathematics. The authors delve into key aspects of biomedical image analysis, including model formulation, architecture, basic steps, empirical analysis, and performance evaluation using statistical parameters to assess the effectiveness of the proposed models.

JMLA virtual projects continue to show impact of technologies in health sciences libraries

2024-10-25T13:19:42-04:00

Beginning in 2012, the Virtual Projects section of the Journal of the Medical Library Association has provided an opportunity for library leaders and technology experts to share with others how new technologies are being adopted by health sciences libraries. From educational purposes to online tools that enhance library services or access to resources, the Virtual Projects section brings technology use examples to the forefront. The new publication issue for future Virtual Projects sections will be January and the call for submissions and Virtual Projects deadline will now take place in June and July.

Revisiting JMLA case reports: a publication category for driving innovation in health sciences librarianship

2024-10-21T11:29:12-04:00

In the April 2019 issue (Vol. 106 No. 3), the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) debuted its Case Report publication category. In the years following this decision, the Case Reports category has grown into an integral component of JMLA. In this editorial, the JMLA Editorial Team highlights the value of case reports and outlines strategies authors can use to draft impactful manuscripts for this category.

Librarians collaborating with instructors for course integration of virtual reality

2025-01-31T15:08:29-05:00

Background: Health science libraries have invested in virtual reality technology and spaces to support use of this technology for teaching, learning, and research. Virtual reality has many uses within health sciences education such as simulation, exploration and learning, and soft skills development. It can also be used to build empathy in health sciences students through applications that provide an immersive, first-person perspective.

Case presentation: This case describes how a health sciences library and liaison librarians partnered with a course instructor to support a class utilizing the library’s virtual reality resources. Librarians were collaborators in the development of the class and facilitated class sessions in the Virtual Reality Studio. Class sessions utilized the Beatriz Lab by Embodied Labs to increase empathy in medical students who were interested in working with geriatric or Alzheimer’s patients.

Conclusion: Liaison librarians support teaching and learning through a variety of tools and resources, including virtual reality. By partnering with instructors, librarians can use their instruction and collection knowledge to design and facilitate classes that are meaningful and interactive. Virtual reality applications provide another resource that librarians can incorporate into their course-integrated instruction sessions.

Amy Blevins, Medical Library Association President, 2023-2024

2024-10-08T14:30:06-04:00

Amy Blevins served as the Medical Library Association president from 2023-2024. In this presidential biography, authors outline a history of Blevins' recruitment to the career, career development, and impact on the association and the profession.

Leveraging AI tools for streamlined library event planning: a case study from Lane Medical Library

2024-10-04T21:24:32-04:00

Health sciences and hospital libraries often face challenges in planning and organizing events due to limited resources and staff. At Stanford School of Medicine’s Lane Library, librarians turned to artificial intelligence (AI) tools to address this issue and successfully manage various events, from small workshops to larger, more complex conferences. This article presents a case study on how to effectively integrate generative AI tools into the event planning process, improving efficiency and freeing staff to focus on higher-level tasks.

Physicians’ information-seeking, appraising, and clinical decision-making practices for drug prescriptions: an exploratory study

2025-02-21T15:42:24-05:00

Objective: The purpose of this study is to understand the process of physicians’ evidence-based clinical decision-making for new drug prescriptions.

Methods: Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic coding was used for data analysis.

Results: Several findings emerged. First, point-of-care information seeking focuses more on accessible and easy-to-use sources, such as medical websites, while out-of-practice searches encompass broader sources such as printed sources and extended networks. Medical websites are becoming preferred sources of information. Second, critical appraisal of information is performed passively by using pre-appraised information sources and referring to professional networks. Third, professional networks (i.e., specialists and senior colleagues) remain essential throughout the process and are pivotal for the decision to change prescription practices.

Conclusions: Medical information systems that facilitate immediate access to summarized reliable evidence and feature real-time connectivity to the communities of practice can be an effective strategy for improving physicians’ evidence-based practice for new drug prescriptions.

Leveraging an open access platform to provide organizational value in clinical environments

2024-10-01T12:13:35-04:00

The Ascension Nurse Author Index is an example of how resource-limited clinical libraries can provide value to their organization by creating a database of peer-reviewed journal article publications authored by their nursing associates. In 2024, Ascension launched a database index to highlight its nurse authors, bring attention to subject matter expertise, foster collaboration among authors, and recognize impact within the profession. The index uses an open access platform, software intended for reference management with a public-facing cloud option, to minimize expenses. This unconventional use of the platform allowed us to capitalize on the software's bibliographic database management capabilities while allowing us to input institutional-specific metadata. By creative use of the open-access platform, librarians can successfully partner to create value for their organization by highlighting the work of its nurses.

Designing for impact: a case study of UTHSC’s research impact challenge

2024-10-01T11:24:54-04:00

Prompted by increasing requests for assistance with research evaluation from faculty researchers and university leadership, faculty librarians at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) launched an innovative Research Impact Challenge in 2023. This Challenge was inspired by the University of Michigan's model and tailored to the needs of health sciences researchers. This asynchronous event aimed to empower early-career researchers and faculty seeking promotion and tenure by enhancing their online scholarly presence and understanding of how scholarship is tracked and evaluated.

A team of diverse experts crafted an engaging learning experience through the strategic use of technology and design. Scribe slideshows and videos offered dynamic instruction, while written content and worksheets facilitated engagement and reflection. The Research Impact Challenge LibGuide, expertly designed with HTML and CSS, served as the central platform, ensuring intuitive navigation and easy access to resources (https://libguides.uthsc.edu/impactchallenge). User interface design prioritized simplicity and accessibility, accommodating diverse learning preferences and technical skills.

This innovative project addressed common challenges faced by researchers and demonstrated the impactful use of technology in creating an adaptable and inclusive educational experience. The Research Impact Challenge exemplifies how academic libraries can harness technology to foster scholarly growth and support research impact in the health sciences.

Use of large language model (LLM) to enhance content and structure of a school of dentistry LibGuide

2024-10-01T08:29:34-04:00

A librarian used a large language model (LLM) to revise a dentistry subject LibGuide. Prompts were used to identify methods for optimizing navigational structure for usability, highlight library-specific information students need additional help with, and write summaries of page content. Post-revision, LibGuide access increased, and students provided anecdotal feedback that they perceive the changes positively. LLMs may enhance LibGuide discoverability and usability without adding significant time and resource burdens for librarians.

Acute mental health concerns in emergency settings: development and validation of an Ovid MEDLINE search filter

2025-02-11T15:46:10-05:00

Background: The authors sought to develop and validate a search filter to retrieve research about acute mental health concerns during public health emergencies. They did so as a response to a recommendation from a previously published paper on searching for evidence in emergency contexts.

Methods: The definition of acute mental health was adapted from the DSM-5 and the DynaMed entries on acute stress and posttraumatic stress disorder. The definition of public health emergencies was adapted from the Canadian Medical Protective Association. The authors retrieved systematic reviews on mental health concerns pertaining to people in the community and healthcare workers during public health emergencies from MEDLINE. The authors formulated gold standard sets for each population group using articles included in these reviews. The authors then separated the articles into development and validation sets. Keywords and Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms from the title and abstracts in the Ovid records in the development sets were used to formulate the filter. The filter was tested via the relative recall method using the validation sets. The authors then tested the filter for precision by conducting MEDLINE (Ovid) searches for the following topics for acute mental health: (i) children/adolescents and earthquakes; (ii) children/adolescents and Ebola outbreaks; (iii) healthcare workers and earthquakes; and (iv) healthcare workers and Ebola outbreaks.

Results: The MEDLINE filter demonstrated 100% recall against the people in the community validation set and 98% recall against the healthcare worker validation set. The filter demonstrated the following percentages for the precision tests: (i) 94% for children/adolescents and earthquakes; (ii) 81% for children/adolescents and Ebola outbreaks; (iii) 81% for healthcare workers and earthquakes; and (iv) 79% for healthcare workers and Ebola outbreaks.

Conclusion: The authors developed a validated search filter that could be used to find evidence related to acute mental health concerns in public health emergencies. The authors recommend that researchers adapt and modify the search filter to reflect the unique mental health issues of their population groups.

Making the most of Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models to support collection development in health sciences libraries

2024-09-27T13:42:07-04:00

This project investigated the potential of generative AI models in aiding health sciences librarians with collection development. Researchers at Chapman University’s Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science campus evaluated four generative AI models—ChatGPT 4.0, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot—over six months starting in March 2024. Two prompts were used: one to generate recent eBook titles in specific health sciences fields and another to identify subject gaps in the existing collection. The first prompt revealed inconsistencies across models, with Copilot and Perplexity providing sources but also inaccuracies. The second prompt yielded more useful results, with all models offering helpful analysis and accurate Library of Congress call numbers. The findings suggest that Large Language Models (LLMs) are not yet reliable as primary tools for collection development due to inaccuracies and hallucinations. However, they can serve as supplementary tools for analyzing subject coverage and identifying gaps in health sciences collections.

Development of an open access systematic review instructional video series accessible through the SPI-HubTM website

2024-09-26T17:11:13-04:00

Given the key role of systematic reviews in informing clinical decision making and guidelines, it is important for individuals to have equitable access to quality instructional materials on how to design, conduct, report, and evaluate systematic reviews. In response to this need, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Center for Knowledge Management (CKM) created an open-access systematic review instructional video series. The educational content was created by experienced CKM information scientists, who worked together to adapt an internal training series that they had developed into a format that could be widely shared with the public. Brief videos, averaging 10 minutes in length, were created addressing essential concepts related to systematic reviews, including distinguishing between literature review types, understanding reasons for conducting a systematic review, designing a systematic review protocol, steps in conducting a systematic review, web-based tools to aid with the systematic review process, publishing a systematic review, and critically evaluating systematic reviews. Quiz questions were developed for each instructional video to allow learners to check their understanding of the material. The systematic review instructional video series launched on CKM’s Scholarly Publishing Information Hub (SPI-Hub^TM) website in Fall 2023. From January through August 2024, there were 1,662 international accesses to the SPI-Hub^TM systematic review website, representing 41 countries. Initial feedback, while primarily anecdotal, has been positive. By adapting its internal systematic review training into an online video series format suitable for asynchronous instruction, CKM has been able to widely disseminate its educational materials.

Individual DOI minting for Open Repository: a script for creating a DOI on demand for a DSpace repository

2024-09-25T16:47:16-04:00

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are a key persistent identifier in the publishing landscape to ensure the discoverability and citation of research products. Minting DOIs can be a time-consuming task for repository librarians. This process can be automated since the metadata for DOIs is already in the repository record and DataCite, a DOI minting organization, and Open Repository, a DSpace repository platform, both have application programming interfaces (APIs). Existing software enables bulk DOI minting. However, the institutional repository at UMass Chan Medical School contains a mixture of original materials that need DOIs (dissertations, reports, data, etc.) and previously published materials that already have DOIs such as journal articles.

An institutional repository librarian and her librarian colleague with Python experience embarked on a paired programming project to create a script to mint DOIs on demand in DataCite for individual items in the institution’s Open Repository instance. The pair met for one hour each week to develop and test the script using combined skills in institutional repositories, metadata, DOI minting, coding in Python, APIs, and data cleaning. The project was a great learning opportunity for both librarians to improve their Python coding skills. The new script makes the DOI minting process more efficient, enhances metadata in DataCite, and improves accuracy. Future script enhancements such as automatically updating repository metadata with the new DOI are planned after the repository upgrade to DSpace 7.

Stepping up to the moment: collaborating on a data management and sharing workshop series

2024-11-25T15:55:27-05:00

Background: Many researchers benefit from training and assistance with their data management practices. The release of the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Nelson Memo and the National Institutes of Health’s new Data Management and Sharing Policy created opportunities for librarians to engage with researchers regarding their data workflows. Within this environment, we—an interdisciplinary team of librarians and informationists at the University of Michigan (U-M)—recognized an opportunity to develop a series of data workshops that we then taught during the summer of 2023.

Case Presentation: The series was primarily aimed at graduate students and early career researchers, with a focus on the disciplines served by the authors in the Health Sciences - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (HS-STEM) unit of the U-M Library. We identified three topics to focus on: data management plans, organizing and managing data, and sharing data. Workshops on these topics were offered in June, July, and August 2023.

Conclusion: The number of registrants and attendees exceeded our expectations with 497 registrations across the three workshops (174/169/154, respectively), and 178 attendees (79/49/50, respectively). Registrants included faculty, staff, students, and more, and were primarily from the health sciences clinical and academic units. We received a total of 45 evaluations from the three workshops which were very positive. The slides and evaluation forms from each workshop are available through U-M’s institutional repository. We developed these workshops at an opportune time on campus and successfully reached many researchers.

ChatGPT, Python, and Microsoft Excel

2024-09-10T12:52:15-04:00

This article examines how the integration of ChatGPT, Python, and Microsoft Excel can significantly enhance the productivity of medical librarians. These tools provide a powerful framework for automating tasks, processing large datasets, and generating actionable insights. ChatGPT, with its advanced natural language processing, helps automate Python script generation and improve data processing in Excel, streamlining workflows and enabling more precise service delivery. Practical applications demonstrate improvements in information retrieval, data management, and research support. The results show that, despite some integration challenges, these technologies have the potential to greatly elevate the efficiency and effectiveness of librarians in managing healthcare data.

Systematic librarian-led zip code analysis to target underserved communities

2025-03-03T16:45:29-05:00

Background: To compare the library’s health information service usage area and customer topics with the hospital’s reasons for hospitalizations to examine commonalities and explore potential growth opportunities within the community.

Case Presentation: Researchers partnered with the hospital for this project. IRB approval was received. Researchers gathered the health information service’s 2022 data, which was de-identified. Data analyzed included zip code and customer topics, which were coded according to the hospital’s business line, which was defined as why a patient was hospitalized or used the ED. The health information service’s business lines were compared with the hospital’s business lines. Lastly, researchers also reviewed the hospital’s targeted zip codes to see if those overlapped with the top zip codes that utilize the health information service. The top zip codes that used the library’s health information service were 37920, 37918, 37917, 37919, and 37876. Usage of the health information service varied across zip codes and topics. The most requested topics for the health information service and reasons for hospitalizations/ED visits were General Medicine in three of the five zip codes. Based on the data’s results, librarians performed outreach to organizations in the targeted zip codes to increase visibility of the library’s services.

Conclusion: The reasons people requested health information from the library aligned with hospitalizations and ED visits in most of the zip codes. Providing further outreach to the hospital’s targeted zip codes will benefit both the hospital and the library by increasing usage of the health information service.

Early explorations of holistic review in graduate medical education

2024-07-08T14:40:28-04:00

Background: Graduate Medical Education programs have implemented holistic review to improve the selection process for new residents. Holistic review will have a profound effect on Health Information Professionals (HIPs) with the arrival of medical residents with different backgrounds and needs. The unique experiences and skills of HIPs will position them well for the new realities in medical residency programs. This article traces the historic roots of holistic review.

Methods: The authors employed a scoping review to track the historical traces of holistic review in Graduate Medical Education over the formative period of 1999-2019.

Results: Medical residency programs over a 20-year period piloted holistic review in the screening, interview, and multiple time periods in the selection process. These ventures reflected a diversity of approaches and creative adaptations from other disciplines such as personnel management, organizational psychology, and active learning forms of education

Conclusion: Health information professionals and medical educators will better engage with the newer cohorts of residents when equipped with a history of holistic review.