Looking Back to Move Forward: a reflection of the Dental Section’s history

Abstract

Background : The history of the Dental Section illuminates our own history as communities of librarians with the Medical Library Association (MLA). Reflections on a community’s history can reveal growth, development and changes, or shed light on similarities between the past and present. Knowledge and awareness of a community’s past can be used to guide members through change. Description : We examined historical documents from the Dental Section and conducted interviews with community members to generate a history of the community within the broader context of medical librarianship. To add context, a general history of dentistry and its relationship to medicine was also conducted. Themes between dental and medical librarianship and between dentistry and medicine were identified and described. Conclusion : The history of a community of librarians is important to understand future directions of MLA, and is informed by the history of the practitioners the librarians serve.