When Doody's Journal launched in 1993, it was based on the premise that a comprehensive source of health sciences book reviews would be a time- and cost-saving resource for medical librarians. Indeed, other book review services such as ALA's Booklist and Choice had already long-established the market opportunity and business model for such services aimed at libraries. It was a matter of introducing medical librarians to an alternative (or, perhaps, complement) to the expert reviews published in health sciences journals.
Though today's digital databases allow users to easily search for book reviews across hundreds of journals in aggregate, the novelty of a one-stop resource dedicated specifically to expert reviews of health information resources persists. Doody's Collection Development Monthly (DCDM) is a testament not only to this persistence but to the value of expert reviews to various groups within the health information community. In this piece, I want to reflect on this value, especially when considering DCDM and its content as a collective resource...
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