The Medical Library Association Guide to Developing Consumer Health Collections

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Description

The Medical Library Association Guide to Developing Consumer Health Collections guides both library graduate school students and seasoned librarians from academic, health sciences, and public libraries, to develop, maintain, nurture, and advertise consumer health collections.

This authoritative guide from the respected Medical Library Association covers all that is involved in developing a new consumer health library including:
Conducting community needs assessments and forging community partnershipsConcerns about physical space, computers, and materialsFunding, budgeting, and staffingPrivacy and confidentiality concernsPublicity and advertising
This book guides both graduate library school students and seasoned librarians from all types of librariesacademic, health center, hospital, public, and school--to develop, maintain and nurture not only consumer health collections, but also community partnerships and outreach programs. Examples of librarians innovative and creative consumer health initiatives are included.

Chapters include all that is involved in developing a consumer health collection including conducting community needs assessments; concerns about physical space, computers, and materials; budgeting, licensing, and staffing; privacy and confidentiality concerns; and community partnership and outreach.

Reviews

With over 40 years of library experience and as longtime book review column editor for the Journal of Hospital Librarianship, Joseph shares her evidence-based library practice expertise in the latest volume of the Medical Library Associations book series. The series showcases current topics in health sciences librarianship in a way that appeals broadly to the general library field by describing practical approaches and resources relevant to any library setting. Though the title implies a focus on collection development, the book covers the gamut of library consumer outreach from conducting community needs assessments and writing grants to planning community activities and developing multicultural collections to serve a variety of specialized populations. Of particular interest is a chapter describing where consumers often locate health information with recommendations on guiding library patrons in finding and evaluating health information judiciously. This text is most appropriate for practicing health sciences librarians and for public librarians interested in consumer health information and/or community outreach programming.



Summing Up: Recommended for practicing librarians.

* Choice Reviews *
Joseph does a good job of writing for and providing examples from all three types of libraries. These types of libraries are quite different from each other, but as consumer health libraries vary significantly themselves, the differences in setting are less important. . . I recommend this book to those interested in beginning work on or improving on consumer health information resources and services in their library. * Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association *
The lists of online resources, including links to pages on where to find print and multi-media resources, make this more than a guide useful to public, academic, and health sciences librarians alike, but a valuable reference. Plenty more information on finding resources, taking into account the problems with health literacy, is provided, as well. . . . The book ends emphasizing that not only should each and every library be involved with providing consumer health information, but that as service providers, Librarians with consumer health collections should be on a proactive mission to get their much needed information to their community. * Consumer Connections *
If a library is considering creating a consumer-focused collection, this is the book for you! It is not only a guidebook on how to set up a collection, but also on how to train staff to be gatekeepers of information resources that patrons may not even know they are looking for. Anyone looking for information on the different aspects of creating a collection and services that will be useful to the patrons of an institution and that enables staff to fill a possible gap in resources, will find that this book gives librarians the framework to do so. * Journal of Hospital Librarianship *
This publication represents the new standard in creating or revitalizing consumer health collections and services . . . This book is highly recommended for any health sciences, academic, public, school, or special library developing any consumer health collection, service, or out-reach. University libraries supporting schools of information science, public health, or health education may also find it valuable. * Journal of the Medical Library Association *
This book is the new core text for any librarian building or recreating their consumer health collection. This book steers librarians & their patrons to top notch information, with the end goal of improving your communitys health and building with them a positive and helpful relationship. -- Becca Billings, leadership team member, Health InfoNet of Alabama
The Medical Library Association Guide to Developing Consumer Health Collections provides a perfect starting point for any library that is beginning or updating their collection. It provides comprehensive and practical ideas as well as examples from libraries that can serve as models. Important topics that impact collection decisions, such as health literacy and multiculturalism are discussed and resources are listed where the reader can learn even more. This is a valuable contribution to the consumer health literature at a time when patient education and engagement in their health care is of particular importance in the environment of health care reform. -- Sandy Oelschlegel, director and associate professor, Health Information Center, Preston Medical Library

Author Bio

Claire B. Joseph is director of the Medical Library at South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside, Long Island, New York. She has been a librarian for more than 40 years and a health sciences librarian for nearly 30 years. She is active in the Medical Library Association, serving as Chair of the Hospital Libraries Section, Chair-Elect of the Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section, Secretary of the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section, and Chair of the New YorkNew Jersey Chapter, along with serving on a variety of committees. In addition, she is Book Review Editor for the Journal of Hospital Librarianship.