A library with (almost) no books

"Futurism and information science," those are the two words Julia Kuperberg, Chief Librarian of Hillel Yaffe Medical Center's Medical Sciences Library, uses to sum up what is done in the library most of the day. "While it's true that by definition we are a special library, because we serve a professional population involved in medicine and nursing, like most libraries, up until recently, research, reading and learning were all done from heavy tomes, which by the way are still 'alive and kicking.' However, in a world in which our customers are required to keep pace with the constant innovations and advancements, it is clear that the transition to digital literature and web-based search mechanisms are necessary and called for," she said.

So what does this mean?

The bottom line is that when you enter the Hillel Yaffe Library, you will see very few books on the shelves. As a rule, the Library of Medical Sciences underwent a major and fundamental structural change several years ago. From two rooms packed with shelves loaded with medical books and journals, it has become an area that includes "noisy" and "quiet" learning areas, functional and aesthetic work and study areas, reading nooks, meeting rooms to study, and numerous computer stations, with all of the modern services required for proper academic study and research, such as access to an electronic collection of journals and books, international databases and more. The library is used and designed primarily for Hillel Yaffe Medical Center staff and students of the Hillel Yaffe nursing school, but it is open to the professional public in the region and beyond. In light of the demand for its services, over the past two years its opening hours have been expanded twice.

Quiet learning area. On the right: Julia Kuperberg

And what about books?

"We still have books," says Kuperberg with a smile, "and even if only because many people love the feel of the paper and binding of 'real books'. After all, there are students and residents who still sit in the study rooms with the massive basic textbooks. We see this especially before the Phase A and B medical residency exams. On regular days, the computer and its many databases, which we provide through an innovative library portal, is what generally govern the provision of accessible, reliable and current information."