Libraries, Literacy and the Pursuit of Healthiness: A Western New York Health Information Literacy Outreach Project

The Western New York Library Resources Council WNYLRC is seeking a Community Engagement Network grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Middle Atlantic Region NNLM MAR, that will help ensure all people in the Western New York WNY region are aware of and able to access information they specifically need to live healthy lives. The project will accomplish this through a series of steps: First, enhance health literacy skills and knowledge, among library staff in the region, specifically utilizing the resources of NLM, so that people in the region will recognize the reliability and utility of libraries for providing quality health information. Participants from libraries in six counties will complete required NNLM coursework to acquire Community Health Information Specialization CHIS Level One certification. Second, all newly certified library staff will help their patrons learn how to access and use quality health information resources, through both one-on-one reference services and through outreach programs at participating libraries, emphasizing services for groups who represent traditionally underserved populations. Third, the participants will utilize their newly acquired skills and knowledge to encourage and provide training to other library staff in the region to broaden the scope of services. Our goal is to ensure all people across the region, especially those recognized as underserved, have equal opportunities to locate, access and use health information resources they need and deserve. The overall desired result is to enhance public awareness of and, ability to to access health information and participate in promoting their own healthiness through interaction and participation in library services and programming resulting from the project. This focus on improving individual health information literacy is aligned with the mission of NNLM, which seeks to: advance the progress of medicine and improve public health by providing U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving individuals' access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health.