Libraries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic: drawing a science map of published articles

Purpose The lockdown of libraries has led to changes in the delivery of services. Reviewing many studies in this regard appears to be of great importance. Thus, this study aims to analyze the articles related to libraries and COVID-19 using the co-occurrence analysis. Design/methodology/approach The current study is applied in terms of purpose and scientometrics in terms of type, which has been conducted using a retrospective bibliometric analysis method and drawing a science map. The relevant keywords were searched in the Scopus and 225 articles were reviewed in terms of author, year of publication, journal, organization and subject. Then, the VOSviewer software was used to analyze and illustrate the keywords and draw the scientific map of the articles. Findings The results showed that 225 articles by 496 authors from 66 countries and 379 organizations were published in the subject area of libraries and COVID-19. These articles have received 620 citations. The co-occurrence analysis of words showed that these scientific productions are classified into four clusters: "The role of libraries and librarians", "The use of media, social network and communication technologies in order provide library services", "Online Library Services" and "Infodemic and misinformation in the COVID-19 Pandemic". Originality/value It is the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic that a scientific map has been drawn up of studies that have examined the role of libraries in this pandemic. The results of the present study may help libraries to access what they need to consider in any crisis.

¡Presente!: Affirming Latinx voices within health sciences library scholarship.

Increasing diverse author representation within medical librarianship scholarship among BIPOC information professionals is an important endeavor that requires closer examination. This commentary looks to examine the ways in which the profession can support Latinx librarians and library workers in fully participating within the scholarly pipeline by exploring our unique and authentic voices, structural barriers, hesitation and fears, Whiteness in the profession and knowledge production, bias in the peer review process, lack of resources and support, and finally, a call to action.

Identifying the roles of medical librarians in COVID-19 crisis in Iran.

BACKGROUND: The best mechanisms for medical librarians to be more involved in health, especially during crisis condition, and to expand their roles are using experiences of other individuals and performing new activities. This study aimed to identify the roles of medical librarians in the COVID-19 crisis in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was done by a qualitative content analysis method. Research participants in the first phase included whole scientific papers (19 documents) which had been published by medical librarians related to the COVID-19 issue and in the second phase 10 medical librarians involved in the COVID-19 who were interviewed and continued until data saturation. Data were collected through each interview, and data analysis was performed using content analysis method. Then, obtained information of the first and second phases was merged together, and codes, subcategories as well as main categories were formed. RESULTS: According to the results, 7 main categories and 24 subcategories regarding the roles of librarians in COVID-19 crisis were identified. The main categories include hygiene services promotion, development of health information-seeking skills, health research services, interaction-level development, evidence-based policy development, information dissemination services promotion, and management services development. Furthermore, regarding barriers to the role of medical librarians in the COVID-19 crisis in Iran, four subcategories were identified that are medical librarian-related barriers, organization-related barriers, profession-related barriers, and context of society (country conditions)-related barriers. CONCLUSION: Medical librarians relatively have been able to provide effective health information services to managers, health-care specialists, and the general public in a variety of health fields.

A Novel Partnership Between Physicians and Medical Librarians During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

An ongoing collaboration between physicians and librarians provided critical information during the COVID-19 pandemic. A development team, which consisted of the hospital and medical school disaster preparedness medical director, the medical library director, professional librarians, and the Departments of IT and Marketing in a multi-state healthcare system worked together to develop a shared website to distribute and curate timely resources during COVID-19. The initial impacts of this collaboration and the website show the benefits of this novel partnership.

Providing Information to Support COVID-19 Pandemic Response: Academic Medical Librarians' Roles in Creating an Intelligence Report.

In March 2020, the Dean of the George Washington (GW) University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and the GW COVID-19 Incident Management Team asked the Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Public Health to initiate a daily report that surveyed COVID-19 literature/resources. This COVID-19 Intelligence Report would serve as a concise, authoritative source of COVID-19 information for clinicians, the Incident Management Team, and operational leaders. The Senior Associate Dean established an Intelligence Gathering Team comprised of clinicians and librarians. Himmelfarb librarians facilitated the collection, distribution, and archiving of COVID-19 resources and Intelligence Reports.