In Fall 2009, the Health Sciences Libraries (HSL) and the Institute for Health Informatics (IHI) at the University of Minnesota jointly recruited a new position titled Translational Science Information Specialist and IHI-Library Fellow to serve as library liaison to the University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, to co-direct the graduate program in health informatics, and to leverage expertise to support University-wide initiatives in E-Science and data services. The position built on experience with and commitment to the concept of “informationist”. This paper reports the opportunities, challenges and evolving critical role of the Information Specialist as “curator” and “translator” of health data and information among many different organizational entities and community partners
