Closure of the CPSBC medical library (3)

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 66, No. 6, July August 2024, Pages 191-192 Letters
By: Tracy Morton, MD, CCFP

I read with sadness that the venerable College Library closed in March 2024.[1,2] It’s a decision I understand, considering how reliable medical information is acquired by practitioners in 2024. When I first entered practice as a rural generalist in 1999, the latest medical information was acquired through subscriptions to print publications like the New England Journal of Medicine, Canadian Family Physician, and JAMA. This was supplemented by the Cites & Bytes monthly mailing from the College Library to inform me about newly published studies in a range of areas of medicine. Each month, I faxed in my order form, checking lots of boxes, and marveled at how I received an envelope of the study reprints I wanted 10 days later. My, how times have changed.

With the Internet, practitioners now have access to information the moment it is published, without the need for libraries to curate and intermediate between source and consumer. We can access journal websites directly, without the need for a library to house the print journals. UpToDate, ClinicalKey, StatPearls, and other sites provide answers to clinical questions, essentially at the point of care. Before, I would have to rely on a librarian to answer a question like “What are the latest treatments for primary biliary cirrhosis?” Now I type that into a search engine or data aggregator of my choice and get an answer in moments. Or I listen to medical podcasts hosted by professional societies, journals, and scientists who package new information and guidelines into audio formats that educate while entertaining. Or I follow #FOAMed leaders’ websites to hear their takes on what’s happening in medicine. Like legacy media, the Internet and its myriad medical websites have made a library a place I don’t think to consult to help me answer clinical questions and stay current. With that value proposition largely lost, I can understand why the College made the hard decision to close the Library.

So, what now? Is there something else the College Library could do or be? The answer is yes, but through repurposing to better serve registrants in areas the Internet cannot. Besides working as a clinician, I’ve conducted research and marveled at how ill-prepared I’ve been. I would have loved to have had a knowledgeable librarian guide me through research methodologies, statistical analyses I could have done, and literature reviews to help me know what’s been published before. Or how about a librarian who can help me develop a learning plan on how to develop a skill, such as point-of-care ultrasound, or how to prescribe opiate agonist therapy? Or maybe a librarian becomes the data scientist who helps with guideline development or advises a health authority on how to implement a new clinical service with lessons learned from other jurisdictions. I’ve appreciated the College Library staff for many years, and I’m hopeful they can apply their considerable skills to new roles and purposes.
—Tracy Morton, MD, CCFP
Haida Gwaii

This letter was submitted in response to “The CPSBC closed our medical library” and “Closure of the College Library: A proposal.”

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References

1.     Dunne C. The CPSBC closed our medical library. BCMJ 2024;66:104-105.

2.     Gillespie IA. Closure of the College Library: A proposal. BCMJ 2024;66:106.

Tracy Morton, MD, CCFP. Closure of the CPSBC medical library (3). BCMJ, Vol. 66, No. 6, July, August, 2024, Page(s) 191-192 - Letters.


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