Re: Closure of the CPSBC medical library

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to those who have written about the closure of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) Library in March 2024 and signed the petition to stop the closure (www.change.org/p/stop-the-closure-of-the-cpsbc-library). Through this letter, we, as librarians, seek to add to the conversation.

Libraries provide widespread access to information resources and expert research support. This means their work and value include and go beyond physical spaces and print books. While caring for library spaces and managing the circulation of physical materials is critical, there is also much occurring behind the scenes. Through a complex infrastructure, libraries provide access to paywalled digital resources such as research platforms and software (e.g., EBSCO, Ovid, Covidence) required by clinical and academic faculty, staff, and students for their work. Whenever patrons access an e-resource such as an e-book or online journal article, they are using the library.  

Libraries democratize information so patrons do not need to pay out of pocket for subscriptions. While some health care providers have access to evidence-based resources through their academic institutions or health authorities, many do not. Most vendors do not permit institutions to add external parties to their licensing agreements. These contractual stipulations disproportionately impact those without institutional access, such as recent graduates and clinicians in private practice. Until March 2024, the CPSBC Library had been able to bridge this gap for its many members.

In addition to making resources available, librarians help craft expert searches and advise research teams. It is important to recognize that librarians are highly skilled information professionals with master’s degrees. They are experts in searching for and evaluating information, as well as applying methodologies to enable knowledge synthesis research. Librarians’ responsibilities can vary by institution. In some, librarians teach students and assist faculty in performing their own searches and keeping research projects methodologically sound. At others, such as the former CPSBC Library, librarians conducted literature searches for their patrons and sent them curated lists of relevant results.   

The board’s decision to close the CPSBC Library based on “data showing [a] significant decrease in library use”[1] fails to capture the value of services provided by librarians. Reducing the CPSBC Library’s worth to metrics favored by for-profit institutions does not acknowledge critical service delivery, such as supporting physicians with time-sensitive clinical questions, guiding systematic reviews, and providing access to high-quality evidence directly impacting patient care and safety. Libraries’ true value lies in the expertise and support they offer, which cannot be fully reflected through quantitative measures alone.  

Regardless of institution, it is incontestable that librarians save their patrons time, money, and effort by providing widespread access to e-resources at no cost to the individual and by sharing their research expertise. These valuable systems cannot operate without financial support and people to keep them running. Eliminating a library not only removes the staff managing these systems but also eliminates access to information within subscription resources that is used to provide quality patient care and guide sound health care decisions.   
—Rachael Bradshaw, MAS, MLIS
—Melissa Caines, MLitt, LibTech
—Jane Jun, MLIS
On behalf of the Health Libraries Association of BC Executive Board

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References

1.    College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. Library permanently closed. 15 March 2024. Accessed 17 January 2025. www.cpsbc.ca/news/library-permanently-closed.  

Editor’s note: For previous letters and Dr Dunne’s editorial about the closure of the CPSBC Library, visit bcmj.org and search for “library closure.”