USE AND MANAGEMENT OF SUBSCRIBED MEDICAL DATABASES IN MALAYSIAN MEDICAL LIBRARIES: A NATIONAL SURVEY TOWARDS BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES

�Azlan Mohamad Hamzah¹, Rosyidah Taju Rahim² & Norazlina Abdul Rahman³�¹Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Library, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia�²International Islamic University Malaysia Library�³Perpustakaan Tun Abdul Rahman Ya'kub (PeTARY), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

INTRODUCTION

• Medical libraries in Malaysia provide vital database access for healthcare, but inconsistent use and management across institutions hinder reliable information services.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

• To identify the variety of medical databases used in medical libraries in Malaysia.
• To examine the need for medical databases in medical libraries in Malaysia.
• To identify the challenges faced by medical libraries in Malaysia in managing and utilizing medical databases.
• To assess the need for establishing a best practice guidelines for managing medical databases in medical libraries in Malaysia.

METHODOLOGY OF THE SURVEY

• A nationwide online survey

​

• 26 librarians from various medical libraries in Malaysia from 14 May to 18 July 2025

​

• Covering four key areas:
1. Database subscriptions
2. Usage of subscribed databases
3. Challenges and suggestions for improvement
4. The need for a best practice guidelines in managing medical databases.

Library and respondent

26 RESPONDENT (LIBRARIANS) FROM

19 MEDICAL LIBRARIES IN MALAYSIA

FINDINGS 1: Database Subscriptions

1. Top 20 subscribed databases in Malaysia medical library:

2. Main criteria for selecting subscribed databases.

3. Subscription method for databases

4. Access to the subscribed databases provided by the Library

FINDINGS 2: Usage of Subscribed Databases

​

1. The main users of the subscribed databases

2. The primary purpose of using the databases

3. Monitoring usage statistics of the subscribed databases

A total of 25 respondents (96.2%) reported monitoring the usage statistics of subscribed databases, while only one respondent (3.8%) did not."

FINDINGS 3: Challenges and suggestions for improvement

1. The main challenges in increasing the usage �of subscribed databases

​

2. The library main challenges in maintaining database subscriptions.

​

Return on Investment (ROI) – cost per use

​

Suggestions for managing and improving the use of subscribed databases in medical libraries

FINDINGS 4: The need for a best practice guidelines in managing medical databases

1. The need for a best practice guidelines

2. List or recommend five key databases that should be essential for medical libraries in Malaysia.

Conclusion

• The study found that Malaysian medical libraries use many different databases but face challenges in managing them.

​

• It emphasized the need of enhanced collaboration between libraries and faculties, the adoption of consortium-based subscriptions, the implementation of data-driven evaluation methods and the integration of database training into academic programs.

​

• Broad support for establishing a best practice guidelines reflects a shared commitment to enhancing the management of medical databases and strengthening the role of medical librarians in supporting precision healthcare in Malaysia.

​

​

THANK YOU

TERIMA KASIH

xiè xiè

谢谢