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Disaster Information Specialization Program MLA Disaster Information Logo

 

What's New:

The Medical Library Association (MLA) and the National Library Medicine (NLM) are currently developing 5 new courses for the Disaster Information Specialization (DIS) program. Details and announcements are listed below.

Course title: U.S. Response to Disaster and Public Health Emergencies
Instructors: Mary Moore and Kimberly Loper
Host: NN/LM PNR
Date: Thursday, May 24, 2012, 8:00 a.m.–11:30 p.m.
Location: University of Washington–Seattle
Registration: To register, contact Kathleen Combs

Course title: Information Roles in Disaster Management
Instructor: Robin Featherstone
Host: NN/LM PNR
Date: Thursday, May 24, 2012, 1:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Location: University of Washington–Seattle
Registration: To register, contact Kathleen Combs

Course title: Disaster Situations in an International Context
Instructors: John Scott and Patricia Bittner
Host: Health Sciences Librarians of Illinois
Main contact: Rhona Kelley at Southern Illinois University and Lynne Ferrell at Memorial Health Systems
Date: Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Location: Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, Springfield, IL
Registration: To register, contact Rhona Kelley or Lynne Ferrell

Course title: A Seat at the Table: A Step-by-Step Approach to Working with Local Responders
Instructors: Diane Brown and Rebecca Hamilton
Host: MLA's South Central Chapter
Main contact: Deborah Halsted at Texas Medical Center
Date: Friday, July 20, 2012
Location: Texas Medical Center, Street Level Conference Room, 1133 John Freeman Blvd, Houston, TX
Time: 10am - 3pm (Lunch on your own)
Registration: To register, contact Deborah Halsted

Course title: Ethical and Legal Aspects of Disaster Response
Instructors: Barbara Folbs and Patti Reynolds
Host: MLA's Philadelphia Chapter
Main contact: Jenny Pierce, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Date: Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Location: Haggerty Library, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Registration: TBA

 

 

More information on MLA's Developing Disaster Information Specialization Program:
The Medical Library Association (MLA) and the National Library Medicine (NLM) are in the beginning stages of developing a Disaster Information Specialization (DIS) program.

Our primary focus for this project is to develop the capacity of librarians and other interested professionals to provide disaster-related health information outreach.

Our vision of this specialization is to create a continuing education program that will prepare participants to provide disaster-related library or information services as part of their ongoing job functions. The specialization will offer a curriculum of courses that would allow those interested to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to support their libraries, institutions and communities in times of disasters or other emergencies.

This program would be designed to allow participants the opportunity to expand their roles by offering more specialized training in providing access to information in times of disaster and emergency.

Our preliminary plan would have DIS participants taking a specific number of classes to reach one of two levels of the specialization. The first level of the specialization would be for those who desire a basic familiarity with disaster information resources. The second level is for those who wish to gain additional training.

Upon completion of the curriculum, a DIS participant would receive a certificate as informal acknowledgment of their educational effort. Because the Disaster Information Specialization is not a formal credential or degree (the Medical Library Association is not a degree granting organization), participants may not use the title "Specialist". Instead, MLA suggests that this achievement be added to resumes and vita as an educational and professional accomplishment.

Our future work will include the completion of a marketing survey to gauge the interest of MLA members and others interested in disaster information. We will also look to create competencies, research existing training resources, develop a new learning opportunity, and unveil a complete Disaster Information Specialization program. The new program will include goals, requirements, a curriculum of courses, an application process, and other needed elements.

Resources

 

Courses Developed

Disaster Health Information Sources: The Basics

Register Now: Indivduals can now register to view the program "On-demand." Register, participate and earn 1.5 MLA CE contact hours. (After you register, you will receive an email with the login information and details for earning your certificate for participating.)

  • Resources available on MLA's Moodle site. Here you will find links to Disaster Health Information (DHI) sources, and tools for organizing and disseminating DHI. To view, login as a guest.

 

To top of page If you have any questions about the planning of the Disaster Information Specialization program, please do not hesitate to contact Kathleen Combs at 312-419-9094 x29 or mlapd1@mlahq.org.

This project is funded by the National Library of Medicine under contract HHS-N-276-2010-00782-P.

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