Developing a Strategic Plan for Transitioning to Healthcare Knowledge Services Centers (HKSCs)

Faced with a negative trend in the form of downsizing, layoffs, and closures, a small committee of hospital librarians in New England formed in 2004 to provide library advocacy. Between 2008 and 2010, 23 hospital libraries closed in New England. In 2010, the committee shifted its focus from advocacy to a platform for change. This resulted in the creation of the Healthcare Knowledge Services Center (HKSC) Template. The Template is the basis for a three-phase, 5-year strategic plan to establish several regional pilots, transitioning traditional hospital libraries to healthcare knowledge services centers. This article focuses on phase one of the strategic plan: Development