title: Expert searcher, teacher, content manager, and patient advocate: an exploratory study of clinical librarian roles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The research explored the roles of practicing clinical librarians embedded in a patient care team.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six clinical librarians from Canada and one from the United States were interviewed to elicit detailed descriptions of their clinical roles and responsibilities and the context in which these were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were embedded in a wide range of clinical service areas, working with a diverse complement of health professionals. As clinical librarians, participants wore many hats, including expert searcher, teacher, content manager, and patient advocate. Unique aspects of how these roles played out included a sense of urgency surrounding searching activities, the broad dissemination of responses to clinical questions, and leverage of the roles of expert searcher, teacher, and content manager to advocate for patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detailed role descriptions of clinical librarians embedded in patient care teams suggest possible new practices for existing clinical librarians, provide direction for training new librarians working in patient care environments, and raise awareness of the clinical librarian specialty among current and budding health information professionals.
authors: Public Services Librarian, H. T. Coutts Education and Physical Education Library, University of Alberta, L-107B Education South, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G5, Canada. maria.tan@ ualberta.ca
authors: Maria C
authors: MC
authors: Tan
authors: Lauren A
authors: LA
authors: Maggio
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016245:Librarians; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010348:Patient Care Team; D024382:Professional Role; D013663:Teaching; D014481:United States
references: Evid Based Libr Inf Pract. 2009 Jan 1;4(1):4-16
references: 19750182
references: Health Info Libr J. 2005 Mar;22(1):26-34
references: 15810929
references: J Clin Nurs. 2007 Apr;16(4):621-9
references: 17402942
references: Health Info Libr J. 2003 Jun;20 Suppl 1:10-21
references: 12757432
references: Health Info Libr J. 2004 Dec;21(4):220-6
references: 15606879
references: J Med Libr Assoc. 2007 Jul;95(3):270-4
references: 17641758
references: Health Info Libr J. 2010 Jun;27(2):123-32
references: 20565553
references: Acad Med. 2011 Dec;86(12):1508-12
references: 22030761
references: J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2008 Mar-Apr;15(2):203-11
references: 18096918
references: Bull Med Libr Assoc. 2000 Oct;88(4):393-5
references: 11055309
references: Health Info Libr J. 2011 Mar;28(1):3-22
references: 21314890
references: Med Ref Serv Q. 2010 Jul;29(3):207-17
references: 20677061
references: Health Info Libr J. 2004 Sep;21(3):173-81
references: 15318915
references: Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1998 Jul;86(3):412-6
references: 9681179
references: Med Ref Serv Q. 2007 Fall;26(3):1-19
references: 17915628
references: Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1985 Jan;73(1):21-8
references: 3919792
references: J Clin Nurs. 2010 Dec;19(23-24):3427-34
references: 20964744
references: Bull Med Libr Assoc. 2001 Apr;89(2):185-93
references: 11337950
references: J Med Libr Assoc. 2004 Jan;92(1):14-33
references: 14762460
references: Surg Innov. 2009 Sep;16(3):266-9
references: 19717393
references: J Med Libr Assoc. 2010 Apr;98(2):160-4
references: 20428282
references: Med Ref Serv Q. 2005 Spring;24(1):29-39
references: 15760831
references: Health Info Libr J. 2006 Dec;23 Suppl 1:10-21
references: 17206992