bgcolor=#ffffff vlink="blue" link="blue"> Page 1 55 Emerging Models of Health Information At the Langeloth Forum, Dr. Cheryl Taylor represented the Southern University School of Nursing in Baton Rouge. Training Programs Some libraries and library systems have begun initiatives to give their staff new skills and capabilities in health-information services.Such training is especially important in a field that is changing so rapidly and that is becoming ever more prominent as a key library service. One of the premier examples is the Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls, New York, which has designed and implemented a national model for public library health information services and, in addition, has reached out to other libraries and library systems in New York State to disseminate that model. 8 Page 2 56 Community Health Connections Langeloth Convalescent Education and Information Center Crandall Public Library, Glens Falls, NY CONTACT : Christine McDonald, Director, Crandall Public Library URL OR EMAIL : http://www.crandalllibrary.org/medical/default.asp Program Description The Crandall/Langeloth program offers health information to library cus- tomers who are recovering from illnesses or medical conditions;provides education and training for librarians in the lead organizations and through- out NewYork to improve the skills and comfort levels of certified refer- ence librarians in answering health-related questions for consumers; and develops core health-related collections in the partnering libraries and assists other libraries in developing core collections. In 1998009, a grant from the Langeloth Foundation funded discussions for a rural Langeloth Convalescent Education and Information Center at Crandall Public Library,in upstate NewYork,and an urban one at Queens Public Library in New York City.The initial purpose was to give health information to patients recovering from illness. In 2001, the Langeloth Foundation awarded a grant of $127,000 to create a Langeloth Center that would establish a baseline of service and training. At the Langeloth Center, questions are received by phone, email, or in person, and information packets are generally mailed out within 24 hours.The center has a core collection of reference materials including books, journals, videos, and online databases, and a consumer-health website. Additional funding from the Langeloth Foundation has enabled Crandall Public Library to expand its services to the public as well as to librarians, and to establish Langeloth Centers in selected NewYork libraries.The Na- tional Library of Medicine has collaborated in training for public librarians in several New York library systems. An LSTA grant funded 00ink to Better Health: Consumer Access to Electronic Health Information,00which was implemented at South Glens Falls High School and included aTeen HealthWeb page as well as access to health databases at the library. Crandall Public Library is helping establish Langeloth Centers at the Albany,Brooklyn,and Utica public libraries.In 2002, an LSTA grant funded MedWeb: Online Consumer HealthTraining, for the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System. A grant from the Langeloth Foundation enabled the library to develop several courses for librarians, including 00rescription for Success: Consumer Health Information on the Internet00and 00rom Snake Oil to Peni- cillin: Evaluating Consumer Health Information on the Internet.00/nobr> 00New York is a state in which librarians take seriously their role as information providers for the state00 citizens.This level of professional leadership epitomizes the concept of knowledge development and sharing and clearly establishes Crandall Public Library as a leader in the field of consumer health information services.00/nobr> 00Janet Welch, State Librarian of New York Page 3 57 Emerging Models of Health Information Health Access Libraries for the Future, National CONTACT : Christopher Johnson, National EqualAccess Director URL OR EMAIL : www.lff.org Program Description Health Access is a component of the EqualAccess Libraries initia- tive of Libraries for the Future (LFF). Supported through grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and local foundations, it provides a flexible programming model that addresses essential information and learning needs and integrates outreach, coalition building, needs and assets assessment, and advocacy training with technology-based programs. Health Access promotes healthy communities by providing health and wellness information and programming. It advances health lit- eracy as a key lever for library service and emphasizes collaboration with health service providers and local organizations to increase awareness and use of libraries00online and print resources. Training in Health Access has been offered in individual libraries and library systems in Arizona and Pennsylvania.As a result of such training, to cite one example, a librarian at the Glendale (Arizona) Public Library coordinated a health fair aimed at the growing Hispanic community. More than 500 people at- tended the fair, where 45 groups exhibited materials in both English and Spanish. In Pennsylvania, a librarian at the Community Library of Allegheny Valley created the Allegheny Valley Health Committee, which developed a collection of online and print health information resources, and launched 00pring into Health,00a series of ten traditional and alternative medicine programs. 00Our Health Committee has been enthusiastically embraced by both of our local competing health systems,West Penn and UPMC00/nobr> no small feat.Thanks to the [LFF] Health Access workshops we were able to focus our program efforts and get results. By giving us tips on improving our media relations and establishing a network for health programs, we were quickly able to move beyond our roadblocks.00/nobr> 00Ann Litz, Community Library of Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania Page 4 58 Community Health Connections National Network of Libraries of Medicine National Library of Medicine, National CONTACTS : Rhonda Allard, National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Middle Atlantic Region; Claire Hamasu, NN/LM Mid-Continental Region URL OR EMAIL : rallard@nyam.org; chamasu@rml4.utah.edu Program Description The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) was founded during the 1960s to communicate the results of research to practitioners. It is part of the federal government00 National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world00 largest biomedical library, which is itself a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NN/LM00 mission is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing all U.S. health professionals equal access to biomedical information, and by improving the public00 access to informa- tion. Resources for the health professional include PubMed/MEDLINE; for the specialist, genome databanks; and for the public, MedlinePlus. NN/LM is a willing and able partner in any consumer-health-information initiative. It has 4700 Primary Access Libraries, 140 Resource Libraries, 8 Regional Medical Libraries, 5000 Network Members, and 2300 Affiliate Members. Primary Access Libraries, which include hospital libraries, are the first resource for health informa- tion and constitute most of the network00 members.There are also eight Regional Medical Libraries: Pacific Northwest,Pacific Southwest,Mid-Continental,Greater Midwest,South Central,New England,Middle Atlantic, and Southeastern/Atlantic. The network00 consumer health information services focus on awareness and infrastructure through training in the use of health information resources over the Internet,technology awareness and integration,identification of important trends, dissemination of technology to improve access, assisting those without professional back- ground to provide health information services, exhibits and presentations, and advisors.The NN/LM awards two kinds of funding to libraries: subcontracts of $10,000 to $40,000 for access to electronic health informa- tion, and regional awards up to $90,000 for exhibiting, training, equipment, and resources.The NN/LM offers public libraries (1) free training, (2) networking opportunities, and (3) partnering opportunities. A public librarian developed Consumer Health Workshops, and public librarians participate in meetings and advisory boards,serve on the NN/LM Regional Advisory Committee (RAC),and attend Regional Community Outreach Symposiums.As an example, an invitational Outreach Symposium was held in Chicago on October 9, 2003, to stimulate discussion about the health information needs of special populations such as minorities and medically underserved groups.A major component of the symposium was the opportunity for librarians to interact with one another in breakout sessions, identify barriers to effective outreach, and share strategies for overcoming barriers. Page 5 59 Emerging Models of Health Information Three River Area Health Information Center West Central Georgia Public Library, Georgia CONTACT : Mary Fielder, Outreach Librarian URL OR EMAIL : www.threerivershealth.org/ Program Description Support from the National Library of Medicine has helped establish the Three River Area Health Informa- tion Center.Among the goals are to train professional and paraprofessional library staff to perform PubMed, IGM, and MedlinePlus searches; develop a syllabus that the staff and the public can use as a guide to improve their searching skills; evaluate websites to locate health-related information and show the public how to access health-related information on the Internet;develop a monthly list of reviewed and annotated consumer health websites; and design a traveling exhibit to promote access to PubMed, IGM, and MedlinePlus. Three River Area Health Education Center, in collaboration with the Medical Center of Central Georgia, is extending its outreach efforts to address the problem of low health literacy. An upgraded Health Resource Center library website will provide a more accessible and comprehensive collection of patient education in- formation, educate consumers, healthcare professionals and public library staff in a six-county area on the use of these resources, and develop a health-literacy program. Eastern Oklahoma District Library System Muskogee, Oklahoma CONTACT : Marilyn Hinshaw, System Director, Eastern Oklahoma Library System URL OR EMAIL : www.eodls.lib.ok.us Project Description The Eastern Oklahoma District Library System (EODLS) collaborated with the Bird Health Sciences Library of the University of Oklahoma Medical Center to improve the ability of public library staff in finding and assessing online health information.The Bird Library trained EODLS staff, followed by additional sessions coordinated and promoted by EODLS for health providers and consumers.The training enabled EODLS to improve health information access through new partnerships with healthcare providers and consumers. Library staff gained skills by using Web-based training modules provided by the BHS Library staff on topics such as senior health, substance abuse, pregnancy and childbirth, and heart disease. Participants earned continuing education credit through the ODL Public Library Certification Program. Page 6 60 Community Health Connections

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