Rowman & Littlefield Publishers The Medical Library Association Guide to Developing Consumer Health Collections (Medical Library Association Books Series)

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 partnerships ·Concerns about physical space, computers, and materials ·Funding, budgeting, and staffing ·Privacy and confidentiality concerns ·Publicity and advertising This book guides both graduate library school students and seasoned librarians from all types of libraries-academic, 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. Review 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"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"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"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 Association's 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 approach