Support Wisconsin Special Libraries
Strong special libraries keep us all in a better state! Special libraries, including medical, law, corporate and religious libraries, provide vital services in the specialized environments in which they operate. For example, a 1991 study of more than 200 physicians found that 80 percent handled some aspect of their patients’ care differently than they otherwise would have when provided with information from medical libraries. In fact, almost one-fifth of those physicians also said that the services and information provided by the library contributed to their ability to “avoid patient mortality.” In addition to saving lives, special libraries and librarians are important for many other reasons, including:
- In the information and knowledge age, special libraries are essential—they
provide the competitive advantage by responding quickly to critical information
needs.
- Information professionals, as special librarians are often called, play
a unique role in gathering, organizing and coordinating access to the best
available information sources, and they understand the critical need of
turning that information into usable knowledge.
- Special libraries are also leaders in creating and practicing standards for the ethical and appropriate use of information.