Collaboration with the media can be an effective advocacy strategy to promote the value of and protect medical libraries and their staff. This case study examines how public storytelling became a vital tool in addressing job cuts, raising awareness of medical libraries, and influencing institutional decision-making.

Following the elimination of two positions and closure of the library at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) in early 2024, a collective response was launched by affected staff and allies. This included strategic engagement with local journalists, letters to hospital leadership, and social media amplification. The resulting media coverage provided a platform to communicate the essential role of medical libraries in evidence-based care. This presentation reviews the methods used to frame the narrative, engage diverse stakeholders, and sustain public interest.

The media coverage prompted a response from hospital executives. Notably, leadership agreed to facilitate an external review to help ensure library services were in-line with current standards. The review resulted in the reinstatement of many library services and new staff hiring. The campaign also prompted renewed discussions around the visibility and value of medical librarianship, particularly in the face of increasing fiscal constraints and hospital workforce restructuring.

This case demonstrates that medical librarians can and should play an active role in shaping public discourse about their profession. Where libraries are at risk of being undervalued, strategic storytelling can be a powerful tool to protect the profession and inform broader conversations about evidence-based care.