Library Based Chemoinformatics Support

As the use of chemoinformatics databases and analysis tools becomes more prevalent in chemistry and Pharmacy research, libraries and librarians are stepping into the role of chemoinformatics support providers. Library administrators are hiring both librarians and non-librarians to fill this niche, and more and more researchers and students are using the services of such information providers. This poster presents a quantitative and qualitative overview of library-based chemoinformatics support. Issues to be explored include the rationale behind libraries providing these bioinformatics support services; what are “bioinformatics support specialists (BSS)”, what do they do and how are they supported; A number of factors were reported concerning the appropriateness of libraries for the base of chemoinformatics support services: - The “neutral” or “central” nature of the library - The library’s traditional relationship to information and information services - Librarians’ abilities in terms of information management and Retrieval and instruction (such as Information Literacy and Information seeking behaviour) -Institutional “gap” waiting to be filled. Data will be presented from three separate entities: an online survey of library-based chemoinformatics support providers, interviews with library directors and chemoinformatics support specialists from three departments (IBB, Chemistry, Pharmacy) of Tehran University, and comments from focus groups of research scientists. Successes reported by library-based chemoinformatics programs: New clients coming to the library and taking advantage of the chemoinformatics(and other services), The creation of partnerships with academic faculty, departments, and units, Integration into the curriculum, Funding for chemoinformatics-related positions or resources and potential barriers to the success is client perceptions of libraries, lack of funding and recourses ,lack of qualified chemoinformatics supported perssonel.

Librarians,chemoinformatics,Information seeking behaviour,Information Literacy,IBB,Chemisty,Pharmacy,Tehran University