# Research networking and the role of the medical librarian

## TL;DR

Medical librarians play a key role in managing research information systems at academic medical centers.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the collaborative role of medical librarians in supporting and advising on research information management systems.

## Key findings

- Medical librarians contribute to the implementation and maintenance of RIMS systems.
- The Penn State team has provided guidance to other institutions on RIMS implementation.
- Collaboration across units is essential for addressing research output questions.

## Abstract

Medical librarians work collaboratively across all units and missions of academic medical centers. One area where librarians can provide key expertise is in the building and maintenance of Research Information Management Systems (RIMS). At Penn State, the RIMS implementation team has included a medical librarian, research administrators and marketing staff from the College of Medicine (CoM) since its inception in 2016. As our peer institutions implemented or expanded their own RIMS systems, the CoM team has responded to their questions regarding details about the Penn State RIMS instance. The goal of this commentary is to describe how the CoM team has worked collaboratively within Penn State to address questions related to research output, with special emphasis on details pertaining to questions from other institutions.