A Comprehensive Summary of Services and Resources Provided by Librarians in Support of Dental Schools in the U.S. and Canada

Many academic dental institutions have library services and librarians available to their constituents, but often a lack of awareness prevents these constituents from taking full advantage of these services. The aim of this study was to summarize the library services and resources that support dental education and research. This summary will demonstrate trends in dental librarianship as well as services and resources that can be adopted to serve the needs of dental education programs. To date, there has not been a comprehensive summary of these services. Methods: An environmental scan was carried out to take inventory of services that dental librarians provide. The study population consisted of librarians who work in dental libraries or college/university libraries that serve dental programs. The librarians surveyed were from institutions with a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)-accredited DMD/DDS program. Currently, there are 76 such programs in the U.S. and Canada. A questionnaire was distributed via email to the identified librarians. Follow-up phone interviews were conducted when necessary. Results: The results show that the majority of dental programs have a dedicated librarian or library liaison providing clinical, educational, and research support through a variety of approaches. Examples include evidencebased dentistry instruction, research and grant support, collaboration on systematic reviews, service on curriculum committees, and involvement in the accreditation process. Conclusion: Librarians perform a variety of services that enhance dental education and research. Librarians provide beneficial services and resources for faculty, staff, and students. Increasing awareness and utilization of available services and resources in the dental community can facilitate research and complement dental education. The results of this survey demonstrate the many ways librarians provide support to their constituents. The service models cited here can be adapted in dental schools across North America.