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The Health Information Research Unit (HIRU) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was founded to meet the information needs that were quickly becoming apparent in the course of teaching critical appraisal methods for the practice of evidence‐based medicine. Librarians have worked in HIRU from its inception and their activities include teaching searching skills to clinicians, collecting and analyzing data for developing methods hedges to increase retrieval of high‐quality clinical articles, evaluating study methods of articles for four evidence‐based journals, and developing more sophisticated ways to deliver electronic information to clinicians. This article summarizes these developments.

To show the range and richness of the roles performed over the years, some of the cycles and projects with which HIRU has been involved and how librarians have fit in are described. Not all projects have been “successful”, but often the unsuccessful ones are as informative as – if not more so than – those that met one's expectations.

One of the main outcomes of the work is the recognition that many job opportunities in areas of informatics exist for librarians and other information professionals. Other groups are acknowledging that librarians can have substantial input into information products and anyone considering health sciences librarianship as a career should realize that many of the skills obtained during training will equip one for work in many non‐traditional settings.

It is felt that a contribution has been made to the continuing education of many of one's peers and help given to build one's research base and information products. The professional relationships that have been established because of these interactions have been rich and rewarding. Anyone interested in a career in health librarianship is encouraged to consider the opportunities available in research and development and other non‐traditional (non‐library) settings.

Evidence‐based medicine (EBM) evolved from an innovative method of teaching residents to use published literature for patient care. The missing piece to this critical appraisal approach was the skills needed to find the “best evidence” to use. Acknowledgment of this need provided many opportunities for librarians to become partners in the care process, including changes in provision of collections and services, modifications in searching skills (comprehensive vs clinical), and planning and educating undergraduates and graduates across the health disciplines. Librarians have increased their skills, made changes in practice, and become more important in educating and providing resources for practicing clinicians.