How to add 100 specialists to your practice — your hospital library

The author shares a view of some of the many medical books in her personal collection. Photo courtesy Dr. Sarah Hoggan

 If you have ever watched the cooking show, Chopped, you already understand what a strong library can do for your practice. The contestants are given only a few ingredients, but their access to a lavishly stocked pantry allows them to make a gourmet meal. A lavishly stocked library is exactly the same! It builds upon, and compliments, what you already have to optimize the outcome.

The elements that define a strong in-practice library are three-fold: the medical library, the supporting library, and the medical journals.

Medical libraries are a specialized category, “…designed to assist physicians, health professiona...