The circuit rider librarian

Abstract

Many hospitals are unable to maintain a full-or even half-time professional librarian to support the professional and nonprofessional hospital staff, and to assist with the development of education programs. To answer this need, the Cleveland Health Sciences Library has developed the "circuit rider librarian" concept. A designated librarian from the staff visits a group of hospitals and, for a fee, provides library service which the hospital could not or would not readily supply for itself. The only limitations on the expansion of such a program are the interest of the hospitals, their geographic proximity to each other and to the resource library, and the ability of the latter to handle the increased demand.