The Belau National Hospital’s Medical Library is undergoing reorganization and cataloging of its books and materials as part of efforts to ease access to medical and health information.
The library, in its capacity building and continuing education functions, has received over one hundred new books, training materials, computers and cataloging supplies through funding support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
Pacific Islands Library Consultant, Arlene Cohen who made a visit to assist with the medical library earlier this week stated that the RWJF funding support was awarded as part of a regional operation to establish new hospital medical libraries throughout the nine US-affiliated Pacific Islands States. They include American Samoa, Guam, Palau, CNMI, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia.
Palau’s share of the grant assistance came in 2009 after Cohen and Guam Naval Hospital’s Medical Librarian, Alice Hadley requested for the funding to assist with the launching of a new library automation system, training of the new medical librarian, and the purchase of new materials and publications.
Arlene Cohen and Alice Hadley have been establishing and improving medical libraries around the region since 2007 and continue to provide assistance and support to Belau National Hospital’s Medical Library.
“The most important thing in having a medical library is to have the support of management and administration. Without this support, the medical library will be left behind”, stated Cohen during her visit to Palau.
(L-R: BNH Medical Librarian Sunshine Garcia and Pacific Islands Library Consultant Arlene Cohen)
