The Hospital Library In Portugal: The Vision Of Librarians

Abstract

The objective of this work was to identify the professional perspective of librarians and hospital libraries in Portugal and their future projection. This is a descriptive study, through non-experimental research, based on a qualitative analysis method. For this study, a sample of 13 professionals was used who, in some way, have a connection/knowledge with the work carried out in hospital libraries. The aim was to have a sample that covered the country from north to south so that the results could be representative of the Portuguese reality. The results indicate that professionals working in health libraries in Portugal consider that there is no specific professional training for this field with very particular characteristics compared to other library realities. Furthermore, they believe that health professionals who work in libraries should be integrated into the clinical and research teams of their institutions. On the other hand, given the importance of evidence-based medicine today, it is necessary to develop new roles that librarians must assume. They also consider that it is up to the health librarian to take on the challenges, invest in the continuous updating and acquisition of skills, strengthen their role in the institutions in which they are inserted, and thus justify the added value of the profession.