Do all hospitals have a medical librarian?

18 May, 2019

Dear Carol,

I am sharing my experience regarding Ugandan Hospitals (Ugandan doctors on this platform could give their experiences too).

In Uganda, Librarians you would find on hospital payrolls could possibly be working in the Registry Section. Most hospitals don't have Medical Librarians on their payroll.

Hospitals with well resourced libraries (personnel and information resources) are usually those with teaching units attached to them. For example, Albert Cook Library at Mulago, There are also libraries at Kibuli Medical School (Kibuli Hospital), Mother Kevin Postgraduate Medical School at Nsambya Hospital etc. These hospitals majorly serve the students registered to study at the various schools and may let in other clients (sometimes at a fee- a fee for external users). I am not so sure about their presence within the hospital premises.

When one visits the common rooms within the hospitals (where doctors meet for their tea breaks etc.), you will find evidence of prior presence of some kind of library (a book here and there) although they seem not to have personnel to fully manage those resources and are therefore somehow inadequate at all fronts (books are old-out dated, few copies, those placed their seem to disappear at a fast rate).

This is a big gap.

Judith Nannozi

Librarian

Uganda Martyrs University

Mobile Numbers: +256-782-844-157; +256-706-608-275

HIFA Profile: Judith Nannozi is Librarian at Uganda Martyrs University, Uganda.

Email: jnannozi AT umu.ac.ug