KUCHING: Medical librarians must step beyond their traditional role as custodians of information and become active partners in clinical practice, research and healthcare policymaking.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said medical libraries could no longer remain passive repositories or wait for healthcare professionals to seek their assistance.
“Medical libraries are not just repositories or places people turn to for information, but they play an important role in shaping evidence-based medicine and our health policies,” he said at the Asia Medical Library Seminar 2026 at the Borneo Cultures Museum here Tuesday (Sept 8).
Dr Sim, who is also Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, said medical libraries held valuable information that could support data analysis, research and informed healthcare decisions.
However, he said librarians must become more proactive by bringing their expertise directly into hospitals, universities and other healthcare settings.
“Libraries have to go into clinical practice instead of waiting for clinical practitioners to come to the library,” he said.
He encouraged librarians to approach doctors and researchers by offering assistance in locating information, compiling references and preparing research publications.
Such practical services would demonstrate their value, strengthen professional partnerships and make librarians an integral part of the research process, he said.
He added that librarians must define the specialised knowledge and human judgment they could offer amid growing reliance on tools such as ChatGPT.
“You must establish your value so that people know you and will look for you,” he said.
He also urged medical librarians to increase the profession’s visibility by seeking opportunities to participate in major medical conferences and engage with clinicians, researchers, publishers and health informatics professionals.
“While digitalisation and artificial intelligence continue to transform access to information, at the end of the day, we still need the human component,” he said.
