“Medical Library Forum” (MLF) is a peer-reviewed academic journal, issued semi-annually by the Medical University of Warsaw since December 2018. The idea of creating the journal emerged during the 25th Problem Conference of Medical Libraries, taking place from 12th to 14th of June, 2006 in Lublin-Kazimierz Dolny. "MLF’s" first publisher was the Medical University of Łódź, which issued the journal both online and in print. Nowadays, "MLF" is published only in digital form. Starting in 2018, all articles are published under the standardised Creative Commons licence BY-NC-ND -- a model that is free for both authors and readers (diamond open access). “Medical Library Forum” aims to preserve the academic work of the libraries of medical universities and related institutions. Its main objective is to create a forum for exchanging ideas, experience, and solutions established in specific institutions, as well as advancing academic librarianship -– not just in the medical field.
In the pursuit of sustainable library model – on the example of the UWM University Library's activities in Olsztyn
In the third decade of the 21st century, the guidelines of sustainability have become a guarantor of care for the natural goods, social and economic balance, and cultural heritage of modern society. Based on Polish and foreign literature, the following article shows the evolution of the idea, term, and causal mechanisms of sustainability. The topic of sustainability is shown through the prism of library science, with special attention to its economic, social, environmental, and also cultural dimensions. The discussion of the evolution of the sustainable library model’s implementation is supported by a description of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn activities (which has been implementing the Green University project since 2013) and the University Library operating within its framework. The author of the article describes to what extent the library has become an implementer of the university's environmental, social, economic sustainability strategy by organizing a number of promotional initiatives of both local and national scope.
sustainability, university library, sustainable library, green university, promotion, Olsztyn
Copyright (c) 2026 Katarzyna Bikowska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Labour and Productivity Transformation in the Academic Environment
Artificial intelligence (AI), whose origins date back to 1956, has become a cornerstone of the contemporary world. The noticeable growth of information resources of critical importance has generated the need for technologies capable of their instantaneous and precise analysis. Although research and development works in this field have been ongoing for over six decades, the breakthrough in its widespread adoption came in 2022. That is when ChatGPT was released, which enabled a broad audience to experience the capabilities of that emerging tool. Today, AI – based on neural networks and capable of continuous, 24/7 operation – opens an entirely new chapter in the functioning of societies. A key factor in the effective use of AI is mastering the ability to write precise prompts. Viewing AI as an additional worker allows for the identification of new areas of opportunity: one of them is increasing efficiency and optimising processes. Concerns that AI may replace humans appear to be diminishing in light of the benefits it offers. Supporting professional workflows, enhancing productivity, and creating space for creative activities are key objectives in the implementation of modern technologies. The labour market prospects for individuals with AI-related competencies appear highly promising, offering them significant competitive advantages. It is essential to establish principles for the ethical and secure use of these new tools to ensure that information is processed responsibly. This article is based on the author’s presentation at the 41st Problem Conference of Medical Libraries, entitled Artificial Intelligence and Medical Libraries: Are We at the Edge of Transformation? (Szczecin, 16–18 September 2024).
Copyright (c) 2026 Marek Garczyński https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Overview of the interests and hobbies of the staff in the Medical Library of the Nicolaus Copernicus University Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz and their impact on professional work performance
The article discusses the results of a survey on the impact of librarians’ interests and hobbies on their professional work, conducted among the staff of the Medical Library of the Nicolaus Copernicus University Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, and compares them with other studies devoted to similar topics. It also includes a brief reminder of the definitions of the terms ‘interest’, ‘passion’, and ‘hobby’, emphasizing the importance of hobbies in human life and their beneficial effects on mental and emotional health.
Copyright (c) 2026 Monika Kubiak https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Library of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice for the European City of Science – report, summary
The article presents how the Library of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice was involved in the European City of Science Katowice 2024 project, with emphasis on the 50 Weeks in the City of Science cycle. The popularising, educational, and integrative efforts of the librarians were discussed based on the example of the initiatives carried out in selected thematic weeks: Virus Week, Book Week, Old Age Week, Information Week, Creativity Week, Witches Week, Game Week, and Human Week. The concept of the library as a “third place” – an informal space open for various groups, where library-related initiatives are also realised – is especially significant. Analysis shows that participating in urban and interinstitutional initiatives improves the social visibility of academic libraries, increases their role in academic and cultural life, and supports the development of new forms of user activity.
Library of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice
Copyright (c) 2026 Katarzyna Cukierska, Agnieszka Kwiatkowska-Boryś https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Resources tailored to needs. The library user’s impact on the acquisition policy exemplifiedby the Library of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice
The needs and expectations of users are a significant influence on the policy of collection acquisition in a modern academic library. During the decision-making process concerning the library collection development, librarians take the user’s preferences into account, thanks to which they can build a collection tailored to the current and long-term needs. Balancing the users’ expectations and substantive requirements and budget limitations is a challenge for the acquisition departments of academic libraries. This article aims to discuss the way in which users influence the selection and purchase of resources in the Library of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice – both directly (through the “Recommend a book” form, by speaking to librarians working in the circulation department) and indirectly (statistics analysis, surveys).
Copyright (c) 2026 Aleksandra Guziałek, Justyna Kopiec https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Convenient and stress‑ free – how comfortable to use is the 1st branch of the WMU Main Library? Survey results
Stress is a common occurrence and has since long been experienced by library users. In the 1960s, researchers noticed that readers feel anxious while using libraries, which has led to coinage of the term “library anxiety”. This article discusses the results of a survey regarding the comfort of using the 1st branch of the Main Library of Wroclaw Medical University and exemplifies building the image of an open institution.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alina Łagodzińska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Participation of the Library of Wroclaw Medical University in the creation of data management plans – A Brief guide to completing the data management plan in research funding applications
The data management plan is an essential component of grant applications submitted to the National Science Centre for public research funding. It serves to outline the strategies for managing research data throughout its lifecycle – during the project and after its completion. The aim of this article is to present the guidelines developed by the staff of the Library of Wroclaw Medical University to support researchers in the process of preparing DMP and to emphasize the library’s advisory role in consulting.
Copyright (c) 2026 Izabela Czeszek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
The use of OpenAlex in medical libraries: experiences, analysis, and perspectives
The article presents the possibilities of using the OpenAlex database in medical libraries, based on analysis of the literature. It outlines the data structure and key OpenAlex functions, including open access metadata, the public API and integration with analytical tools. Examples of applications in bibliometrics and institutional research evaluation, as well as in activities supporting open science, are discussed. The article also draws attention to data quality limitations and practical challenges of implementing OpenAlex in medical library practice.
Copyright (c) 2026 Martyna Tymkiewicz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Traces of history in the collection of the Main Library of the Poznan University of Medical Science. Marks of provenance in early printed books, their past owners and their ties with the university
The collection of early printed books held by the Main Library of the Poznan University of Medical Sciences is currently being catalogued. An important part of this process is provenance research. The article aims to present selected provenances of individuals and institutions connected with the history of the University and the origins of medical studies in Poznan.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zuzanna Jernaś https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
EAHIL 2025 Workshop & 42nd Problem Conference of Medical Libraries, Łódź, 9–13 June 2025
EAHIL is an international association bringing together medical librarians and information specialists, which alternately organises annual conferences and workshops dedicated to the challenges of working in the field of library and information science. On 9–13 June 2025, the EAHIL Workshop was held in Łódź under the motto “IMAGINE” (an acronym for Inform, Manage, AI, Grow, Integrate, Network, Explore). This year, the event was combined with the annual Problem Conference of Medical Libraries, gathering over 200 participants from Poland and abroad. The event was hosted by the Information and Library Center of the Medical University of Łódź. This article presents an overview of EAHIL’s activities, discusses the course of the event, and the main themes of the presentations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Sikorska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Atena – a new way of working with journal ranking lists
A tool supporting the analysis of journals from the ministerial list, including selected bibliometric indicators from the Journal Citation Reports database, was designed, created, and implemented at the Scientific Information Department of the Main Library of the Medical University of Warsaw. It allows for identifying the indicators of specific journals and generating lists of titles within selected criteria. The product is widely used by the academic community of WUM and it significantly facilitates the work of publication authors as well as administrative employees using journal ranking lists in everyday work. The solution presented in the article proves that libraries do not have to rely on the already available, paid bibliometric tools offered by such providers as Elsevier or Clarivate – they can successfully implement their own solutions to suit the needs of the academic community.
Main Library of the Medical University of Warsaw
Copyright (c) 2025 Agnieszka Czarnecka, Krzysztof Włodarczyk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Recovered Early Printed Books from the Collection of Teofil Tugendhold
The article concerns three recovered early printed books from the lost collection of Teofil Tugendhold – a Polish bibliophile and pharmacist. First, the text presents Tugendhold and describes his activities in the field of bibliophilia and the history of pharmacy. Subsequently, the article discusses the circumstances of how Tugendhold’s entire collection went missing, only to be recovered decades later and given to the Museum of the History of Medicine of MUW. Next, the three recovered early printed books are described with special emphasis on their characteristics. Since the found books are specialist texts – pharmacopoeias intended for professional use by pharmacists and doctors, the history of the pharmacopoeia is also discussed, in order to show the historical significance of the volumes in question.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Szymańska-Budzińska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Artificial Intelligence in Action. Legal, ethical, and practical challenges
A letter to the editor analysing the challenges of copyright protection for works created with the assistance of artificial intelligence, from the perspective of an end user and in the context of current and proposed legal regulations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Aleksandra Guziałek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Summary of 41st Problem Conference of Medical Libraries “Artificial intelligence and medical libraries – are we at the verge of a transformation?”, Szczecin, September 16-18 , 2024
The 41st Problem Conference of Medical Libraries held under the theme “Artificial intelligence and medical libraries - are we at the verge of a transformation?”, organized by the Main Library of the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, gathered more than 120 people from Poland and abroad. The report presents the topics of the speeches concerning both solutions already in use in libraries, but also the possibilities of applying artificial intelligence in the daily work of librarians.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dagmara Budek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
WUM.Publikacje database and its integration with campus-wide and outside information systems
The article discusses local solutions applied in order to optimise processes related to the registration, recordkeeping, and reporting of data regarding publications by the university employees. The WUM.Publikacje database is key in this process, as it registers data about the publications by the employees of the Medical University of Warsaw, as well as connects to other systems which utilise data about the publications. The database is integrated with a handful of other systems, including campus-wide systems, such as the academic teachers evaluation system, the Rector’s award system, and the student grant system, as well as outside systems: ORCID, Polish Scientific Bibliography, and Web of Science.
recordkeeping of scientific output of research institutions
parametric evaluation of science in Poland
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Ajdukiewicz-Tarkowska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Medical issues presented in “The New Warsaw Diary” – 1801-1805
The development of non-informative periodicals addressed to wide circles of society took place in Poland in the early 19th century. It was a difficult period for this type of projects, resulting primarily from the lack of statehood and, consequently, the interference of the partitioning authorities in the scope and subject matter through censorship. One of the few Polish journals with a clearly profiled scientific topic published in Warsaw in the years 1801–1805 was “The New Warsaw Diary”. It covered a wide range of topics, from humanities and literary issues to astronomy and chemistry. Strictly medical issues were included in various sections, but a section entitled medicine and even surgery was quickly separated, reporting on new methods of cataract surgery. Generally, these texts, prepared with great reliability and carefully edited, provided access to knowledge, which was often very difficult for political reasons. They constitute an interesting contribution to understanding the popularization of medical issues in Polish society at the beginning of the 19th century. Covering certain topics, such as discussion on the smallpox vaccination technique, is a good example of how significant issues concerning population health had resonance in the community. The preserved issues of “The New Warsaw Diary” with texts written in beautiful Polish, which, despite lexicographic changes, have not lost any of their readability, serve not only as material for textual analyses, but also as an interesting reading.
Copyright (c) 2025 Maria Joanna Turos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Gamification of teaching information literacy: the case of the Information and Library Center of the Medical University of Łódź
In an era marked by the omnipresence of Information and Communication Technologies, educators face the intimidating challenge of harnessing students’ attention. Studies suggest that technology adopted early in life affects brain structure and cognition. Therefore, new generations require creative pedagogical approaches such as gamified learning. At the Information and Library Center of the Medical University of Łódź, we are exploring the optimal combination of gamification elements to improve learning outcomes in our specific academic environment. This article presents practical examples of more engaging materials that we have designed at the Information and Library Center to teach information literacy. Gamified materials were tested on various groups of library users (students, librarians, and academic staff). Although we have gained an interesting insight on how learners perceive gamified learning, a quantitative analysis is still needed.
Copyright (c) 2024 Anna Sikorska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
The contribution of Wrocław gynecology, obstetrics and pediatrics to the development of European medicine in the 19th and 20th centuries – a project of the Library of Wrocław Medical University
The article is the result of a project under the ministerial task "Social responsibility of science II" - Support for research libraries (Project: SON.Z504.23.001). As part of the project, over 300 publications (some of which have been subjected to bookbinding restoration), largely unique in Poland and/or in the world, were recorded bibliographically and made available in online catalogues. The project was aimed at expanding the scope of research dealing with the history of medicine and at disseminating historical knowledge about the development of the medical sciences. An important role of the project was also to save from oblivion and, above all, to disseminate the publications that were previously unknown due to the lack of information about them. The article describes: the implementation of individual cataloguing activities, interesting summaries that were created during the cataloguing, and conclusions emphasizing what an important scientific centre Wrocław was in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Copyright (c) 2024 Małgorzata Podgórska, Zuzanna Helis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Multimedia as a knowledge management support tool – JU MC Portal for Management of Knowledge and Scientific Potential resources review
In a present-day, dynamic medical community, effective knowledge management is a key factor for the organisation’s success. This article analyses the growth of multimedia popularity in the years 2020-2021 and presents a short review and characteristics of the multimedia gathered in the JU MC Portal for Management of Knowledge and Scientific Potential. The Acquisition tool, used for importing multimedia from the YouTube portal, is also described. The authors show how multimedia can be used to make learning easier, improve communication and build community around common topics and one’s own brand. The article discusses issues concerning law and risks related to archiving multimedia resources. It is emphasized that multimedia are an effective tool in the process of knowledge management. The readers can get an insight into the best methods and strategies in this field.
Portal for Management of Knowledge and Scientific Potential
Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum
Copyright (c) 2024 Beata Jakubczyk, Julia Dragan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureş and NOVA Medical School in Lisbon – report on Erasmus+ Staff Weeks
The article is a report on the training courses which took place in 2023 in the libraries of George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureş, and NOVA Medical School in Lisbon as part of the Erasmus+ international programme. The author presents the institutions responsible for the courses, their structure and characteristics, as well as the solutions applied there. The course’s schedule is also presented, alongside with the description of the points most relevant in the author’s view. The report is summarised by juxtaposing the two libraries organising the course and remarks on the possible paths of their development.
Library of George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureş
Copyright (c) 2024 Aleksandra Guziałek https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Digital collection of doctoral theses on the Jagiellonian University Medical College Portal for Management of Knowledge and Scientific Potential
The “PhD Dissertations” module in the Jagiellonian University Medical College Portal for Management of Knowledge and Scientific Potential (UJ CM PZW) currently contains over 4,000 doctoral theses defended at the Jagiellonian University Medical College (formerly Medical Academy in Kraków). The metadata of the doctoral theses records were migrated from the Alma and dLibra systems and then merged in the Omega-PSIR system on which the UJ CM PZW is based. The cataloguing of doctoral theses in the newly created database has been conducted since 2022. In addition to the current inflow, the UJ CM Medical Library conducts retroconversion, which involves supplementing the existing doctoral theses records in the UJ CM PZW with full-text files. This creates the need to acquire licensing rights and to digitise the collections available only in the traditional form. Compiling the records of the doctoral theses in the UJ CM PZW is a complex and time-consuming process. The goal of the ongoing cataloguing of collections in the database is to provide users with access to the scholarly output of the university staff and its promotion.
Jagiellonian University Medical College Portal for Management of Knowledge and Scientific Potential
Medical Library of Jagiellonian University Medical College
Copyright (c) 2024 Małgorzata Matera, Ewa Kluz, Maria Stachura-Chatłas, Grzegorz Zając https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Workshop conference "On the ground of practice" – a new formula and new horizons. Summary of the 40th Jubilee Problem Conference of Medical Libraries, Kraków, September 11–12, 2023
Problem conferences of Polish medical libraries have been organised since 1980. This could never be possible if it were not for the work of people who decided to share the passion for their profession and who would eagerly discuss the knowledge they find valuable, things that they have in common, and the differences they see in each other. This article summarises the latest, jubilee event, shows the backstage of months-long work on its program and organisation. The conclusion presents the results of the whole undertaking.
Copyright (c) 2024 Anna Uryga https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Medical libraries’ strategies in research data management: analysis and implications
This article discusses the involvement of Polish medical libraries in the field of research data management (RDM). It provides an overview of RDM’s development and its introduction in medical libraries. On the basis of a survey conducted among the staff of Polish medical libraries, the authors outline the librarians’ level of competence, the extent of services they provide and the organisational context of their work. It is stressed that it is crucial to further develop librarians’ qualifications related to RDM, as well as to increase the awareness of libraries’ role in this area among researchers. The authors present conclusions concerning the formal acknowledgement of librarians’ role in the process of RDM, which contributes to the development of both libraries and research institutions.
Copyright (c) 2024 Szymon Kubik, Agnieszka Milewska, Tomasz Nowocień , Jakub Rusakow https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Examples of data modules on the Wroclaw Medical University Polish Platform of Medical Research – worked schemes and development plans
Polish Platform of Medical Research (PPM) is a knowledge and research potential management platform for Polish academic institutions from the medical field which participate in the PPM project. The local platform of the Wrocław Medical University (PPM-UMW) in an institutional repository, which keeps the records and archives the research, scientific, and educational activities of the university's employees and doctorate students. The article presents the current advancement of the platform being adapted to the needs of a medical university, and the progress of data publishing on the PPM-UMW platform. The presented fields include: projects, patents, infrastructure, professional achievements (career), and professional activity.
Polish Platform of Medical Research of Wroclaw Medical University
infrastructure, professional achievements (career)
Copyright (c) 2024 Ewa Kapela, Izabela Czeszek , Aleksandra Kaczmarska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Evidence in research and clinical practice – what medical librarians should know
There is a need to create and publish trusted evidence that will inform clinical decisions. Librarians can play an important role in this process, as they can oversee the registration and reporting of primary and secondary studies, take an active part in data synthesis and contribute to increasing the quality, completeness and reliability of existing data.
Copyright (c) 2024 Sylwia Warzecha, Małgorzata Maraj, Joanna Zając, Małgorzata Bała https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
About the MeSH information and retrieval query language in the area of activity of Polish academic libraries of medical universities
The article presents the history of MeSH, the information and retrieval query language in Poland, in the context of cooperation between academic medical libraries. It also discusses the role of the Central Medical Library in the implementation of medical subject headings. Particular attention was focused on an attempt to explain the reason for the functioning of two Polish-language versions of the file, which are translations of the American version of MeSH’s Medical Subject Headings run by U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Copyright (c) 2024 Magdalena Kotlarek-Naskręt https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
New tasks of the scientific library – Knowledge Base of the University of Opole
All scientific units in Poland, using their own IT systems or the system of the National Information Processing Institute, regularly report information related to their scientific activities to the respective national systems – POLon and the Polish Scientific Bibliography. The University of Opole uses the UO Knowledge Base system to fulfil its reporting obligations. Initially, the programme was used to record, collect and report scientific publications and artistic works to ministerial information systems. Over the years, its functions have been extended to include scientific disciplines other than medical sciences. Today, the Knowledge Base system enables the comprehensive management of information on science and the university’s research potential.
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
16 years of “Medical Library Forum”. From Johannes Gutenberg to Open Journal Systems
The article aims to summarise the activity of the “Medical Library Forum” (MLF) – an scholarly journal which has served to share ideas and record the work of medical university libraries and related institutions for over 16 years now. The paper presents three key stages in MLF’s history – from the idea of creating the journal in 2006 and printing the first issue in 2008, through moving the publishing activity from Łódź to Warsaw, to finally introducing the Creative Commons licence to publishing practice. The authors remark on the systematic progress of the journal – constantly bettering the level of publishing and editorial practices and strengthening the journal’s reputation by being indexed on the ministerial list, as well as the ERIH PLUS or DOAJ databases. The article puts emphasis on the journal’s support towards the open access idea, expressed by publishing in the Diamon Open Access model. Further plans for MLF’s future are also presented, such as implementing the Open Journal Systems (OJS) in the publishing process.
Reports on the Wrocław Medical University (WMU) Library staff's Erasmus+ trips in the academic year 2021/2022 (Faro - Portugal, Sassari - Italy)
The Authors presented accounts of two trips under the international Erasmus+ programme. One was a Staff Week for librarians organized at the libraries of the University of Algarve in Faro, Portugal, held on 20-24 June 2022. The other was a study trip to selected units of the university library system at Sassari, Italy. Both events provided an excellent opportunity for librarians from Europe, representing libraries of different types and with different characteristics, to share their experiences. In addition, they made it possible to network and get inspired by solutions used in other libraries. The accounts were supplemented with the Authors' observations and conclusions about participation in the programme.
Copyright (c) 2023 Ewa Kapela, Ewa Starobrzańska, Agnieszka Baran, Paulina Obuchowicz, Rossana Rigoldi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Online self-learning opportunities for librarians
Today, it is necessary to constantly improve one’s competence and broaden one’s knowledge due to the dynamic changes occurring in almost all areas of life. It is well illustrated by the growing popularity of the concept of lifelong learning. This article aims to indicate the development opportunities offered to librarians by new technologies. The websites which enable self-learning have been presented on the basis of the author’s experience with e-learning. The sources presented are available in Polish or English, mostly free of charge, and allow participants to obtain a certificate. The article focuses on websites which offer remote courses and, in particular, platforms with massive open online courses (MOOC). What is emphasised in the text’s conclusions is the role of strong motivation and time managements skills being the factors necessary for effective online self-learning.
Copyright (c) 2023 Paulina Dubielecka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/