The Role of Librarians in Promoting Effective Library Resource Utilisation for Counselling and Physiotherapy Education in Academic Institutions

This paper presents an opinion-based examination of the role of librarians in enhancing the utilisation of library resources and services for counselling and physiotherapy education in academic institutions. It argues that librarians occupy a strategic position in bridging the gap between available library resources and their effective use by students and faculty in health-related disciplines. Drawing from professional observations and existing literature, the paper contends that despite the availability of print and electronic library resources, underutilisation remains a persistent challenge in counselling and physiotherapy programmes. The paper opines that proactive librarian involvement through user education, information literacy instruction, research support, and personalised reference services significantly improves library utilisation. It further suggests that collaboration between librarians, counselling educators, and physiotherapy instructors is essential for aligning library services with curricular and clinical information needs. The paper concludes that strengthening the professional engagement of librarians and expanding targeted library services will enhance teaching, learning, and research outcomes in counselling and physiotherapy education. Recommendations are offered for academic libraries to reposition librarians as active partners in health sciences education rather than passive custodians of information resources.