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Health Information Literacy

MLA Health Information Literacy Task Force, 2003-2005

To top of page Background

There are many players who support health information literacy as a way to improve health including governmental agencies, foundations, professional associations, private sector businesses, health care and public health professionals, patient educators, and health information professionals. We have begun to forge productive relationships with some of these organizations. With the leadership of our Consumer and Patient Health Information Section and many individual members, our public relations firm PCI, and headquarters staff, MLA has developed a track record in consumer health information training and delivery of quality information. We need to determine the most effective next steps to assert our role as key partners in improving health through the provision of quality information.

This Task Force supports several of the recommended strategic choices:

  1. MLA will expand its advocacy and promotion role to become the leading voice for librarians as health information experts in our society. MLA should have a "first response" strategy in cases of urgent national or international health concerns.
  2. MLA will promote the ability of its members and others to serve the health information needs of the general public.
  3. MLA will be a leading advocate for unfettered and permanent access to quality health information.
  4. MLA will actively collaborate with other health information professional associations, looking for partnerships that build on shared values and goals.

To top of page Charge of the Task Force

  • Develop a working definition of "health information literacy" to guide MLA's efforts, including its relationship to the general concepts of "information literacy," as developed by the Association of College and Research Libraries and others, and "health literacy."
  • Identify current and potential MLA activities that support health information literacy, including advocacy efforts.
  • Identify potential partners (government, foundation, private, academic, association) with similar interests and compatible goals and values that complement and leverage the contributions and skills of MLA and its members and recommend possible working relationships, including funding possibilities at national, regional, and local levels.
  • Recommend an MLA structure to coordinate and sustain these kinds of activities.
  • Identify questions and research opportunities that could add to MLA's research agenda in this area.
  • Develop a communication plan for a) MLA members, b) potential partners and other stakeholders, and c) the public.
  • Develop a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of MLA's health iInformation literacy work.

To top of page Task Force Roster • healthliteracy@mlahq.org

Neil Rambo, Chair
University of Washington
Seattle, WA

Marie Ascher, AHIP
New York Medical College
Valhalla, NY

Joyce Backus
National Library of Medicine
Bethesda, MD

Erica Burnham
McGill University
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC

Joan Durrance
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI

Marcia Horner
Kootenai Medical Center
Coeur D'Alene, ID

Sandra Martin, AHIP
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

Susan Murray, AHIP
Toronto Ref. Library
Toronto, ON

Heidi Sandstrom
NN/LM Pacific SW Region, UCLA
Los Angeles, CA

Linda Watson, AHIP, Board Liaison
Univ. of Virginia Health System
Charlottesville, VA

Carla Funk, Staff Liaison
Medical Library Association
Chicago, IL
funk@mlahq.org

Evelyn Shaevel, Staff Liaison
Medical Library Association
Chicago, IL
mlaedo1@mlahq.org
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