A Study on the Needs and Perceptions for Implementing Medical Library Training Programs

This study aimed to explore how library and information science (LIS) students perceive, experience, and intend to participate in training programs at medical libraries, while also evaluating the necessity and feasibility of these programs. A survey was conducted with 130 students from 33 LIS departments across the country. The survey inquired about past training experiences, perceived significance of training, preferred tasks, preferred library settings, and willingness to join a program offered by the Korean Medical Library Association (KMLA). The results indicate that students, regardless of their training background, place high importance on practical training in the curriculum. Those without prior experience preferred training in specialized libraries, such as medical libraries. Conversely, students with experience mostly engaged in operational tasks, while those without experience were keen to acquire skills in specialized areas such as research support and database searching. Furthermore, students expressed a strong interest in participating in a KMLA training program, expecting practical benefits such as professional guidance from librarians, exposure to real-world scenarios, and career development support to be provided. The study underscores that current LIS training programs are primarily available through public and national libraries, highlighting the need to expand training opportunities to enhance students' professional skills. As a result, the study suggests establishing a medical library-focused training program. This indicates that the Korean Medical Library Association could play a significant role in enhancing students' professional skills by developing field-based training and mentoring programs that address these needs. [J Korean Med Libr Assoc 2025;52(1):12-27]