Evaluating the contribution of the clinical librarian to a multidisciplinary team

The evaluation of the North Wales clinical librarian project (18 months, October 2003-March 2005) aimed to provide the evidence for the planning of health library services that would actively support improved patient care. The objectives discussed in this paper focus on the working of the multidisciplinary teams, and the way the clinical librarian support changed as the project developed. Tracking changes in the number of search requests made, or in the perceived information-seeking attitudes of the team members provided some indications of changes. The main findings were that the clinical librarian had to take an active part in the work of the team, through restructuring of journal clubs, in order to achieve full integration, and the highest levels of trust, with the established clinical teams. With the newly established teams, affective trust, with the establishment of good interpersonal relationships, was important. Concludes that longitudinal evaluation was effective, and necessary to the understanding of the factors affecting the success of clinical librarianship.