Research engagement of health sciences librarians: a survey of research-related activities and attitudes.

Introduction: The extent to which health sciences librarians are engaged in research is a little-studied question. This study assesses the research activities and attitudes of Medical Library Association (MLA) members, including the influence of work affiliation.

Methods: An online survey was designed using a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions and distributed to MLA members.

Medicus Deus: a review of factors affecting hospital library services to patients between 1790-1950.

Question: What are some of the historical societal, medical, and public health trends leading to today's provision of hospital library services to patients?

Data Sources: Literature from the archives of the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association and other library sources, medical journals, primary historical documents, and texts from the history of medicine form the core of this review.

Study Selection: The period of review extends from about 1790 through 1950 and focuses solely on trends in the United States. Of primary concern are explicitly documented examples that appear to illustrate the patient-physician relationship and those between librarians and their patient-patrons during the earliest years of the profession's development.