The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) Library is scheduled to close on March 15, 2024. This is shocking and disappointing to members who rely on the over 6,000 medical journals and several point-of-care tools, including ClinicalKey, DynaMed, CPS, AccessMedicine, and BMJ Best Practice. Subscribing to these tools individually will cost members over $3600.

And while some members may have faculty status at UBC, or access to some library resources through their hospital library, it is the family physicians with no academic affiliation who will be hurt the most by this decision. Members working in rural or remote communities especially rely on the library service for access to timely information and the professional expertise of the librarians, to make evidence-based decisions. Physicians already face significant workload pressures; is it realistic or desirable to expect them to spend their valuable time hunting for information on their own when they should be caring for patients? We don’t think so.

What’s more, over 30 years of evidence have consistently shown that health libraries have a positive impact on patient outcomes by informing clinical and operational decisions. It saves time for the physician, reduces health care costs and helps reduce adverse events. The health of everyone in British Columbia depends on high-quality health information. Don’t leave your members in the dark!