A Reflective Conversation Between A Librarian and A Radiologist: Lived Experience of Medical Library Usage During COVID-19

Abstract

This article is a joint reflection about a radiologist’s experiences using health libraries in England’s National Health Service (NHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a collaboration between an academic librarian and an interventional radiologist and attempts to reflect on the lived experience of the radiologist and locate that experience within the wider Library and Information Science context. Findings include new insights into the role of librarians within the dissemination of research during the pandemic and analysis on libraries as a therapeutic space, even when operating remotely. As the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic approaches, it is possible to look back and reflect on the impact it has had within a medical setting. It is also interesting for professionals in allied or separate fields to discuss how the pandemic has changed professional practice and identify lessons for the future. The authors are university friends who share an interest in professional practice and research in our respective fields. Alex Wheeler is an Academic Liaison Librarian working at Manchester Metropolitan University. Dr. Simon Zakeri is a Consultant Interventional Radiologist, currently undertaking a Fellowship at Auckland City Hospital but formerly working in National Health Service (NHS) England at the St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals Trust. We identified four key observations about the radiologist’s COVID-19 experience using NHS Library and Information Services (LIS) and these observations form the basis of this article.