Document Type

Poster

Original Publisher or Platform

Medical Library Association Conference 2026

Original Publication Date

5-2026

Abstract

As we navigate rapid changes to information access and utilization, dental and oral health care professionals are finding new ways to meet the needs of their users. Practitioners locating, evaluating, and applying research continues to encounter new obstacles, including significant changes to institutions that share health data and make recommendations. This poster discusses effective strategies dentistry librarians have used for information retrieval, method analysis, and patient education.

Background  

This poster provides an overview of how four dentistry librarians are responding to trends and changes in the dental and oral health information landscape at their various institutions and organizations.

Description   

Within the last year, dental and oral health care professionals face new challenges caused by rapid changes to information access and utilization. The closure and removal of long utilized community resources, increases in Author Publishing Charges (APCs), and decreases in research funding have negatively impacted the medical library field. Four dental librarians from a combination of academic libraries and the American Dental Association explore the effect of these challenges and how they are addressing them. The poster explores options for expanding university-hosted journals, heightened roles in evidence synthesis work, and investigating digital data and publication repositories such as the addition of ADA Commons, ADA’s open access dental repository and archive.

Program Conclusion

This poster shares challenges four dentistry librarians are facing, and how they are addressing them alongside their institutions. We invite you to connect with us, to see what resonates with you, and to share your own experiences.

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