The role of hospital libraries in providing information: The Case of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

  The hospital library is being established to disseminate clinical information for medical practitioners such as doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, paramedics and hospital managers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of hospitals in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in providing specialized information for specialized physicians. The present study was carried out through a survey-analytical method in 2015. Sample size of 84 professional physicians and librarians working in 10 educational hospitals of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences based on Cochran formula and using random sampling. Two separate researcher-made questionnaires were designed for specialist doctors and librarians and the data were collected. SPSS software version 22 and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results showed that specialist physicians use the first priority to solve medical, research and educational issues from hospital libraries for personal study, resource lending and the use of publications. Also, selective dissemination services are provided in only 50% of libraries. Limiting the hours of the library and the lack of information resources about the major problems of doctors and budget constraints, the lack of expert librarians and the lack of resources and equipment are one of the most important problems in hospital libraries. Considering the importance of information in medical area, the hospital libraries should transform the type and manner of their services provision and using the information technologies possibilities for offering new information conveying manners