Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) Sponsorship Program Improves the Capacity of Public Library Staff to Provide Health Information to their Community

Abstract

In 2018, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) launched a national sponsorship program to support U.S. library staff in obtaining the Medical Library Association (MLA) Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS). To evaluate the impact of the sponsorship program, staff developed and administered a 16-question assessment to 224 library staff sponsored in the first year of the program. The objective of this research project was to determine if 1) obtaining the specialization was successful in improving library staff ability to provide consumer health information, 2) sponsorship made obtaining the specialization possible, and 3) sponsorship resulted in recipients offering new health or wellness services, programming, or outreach activities at their library. The survey had a 61% response rate (n=136) and all respondents indicated that obtaining the specialization met their expectations. Over 80% of respondents reported an increase in knowledge of health information resources and over half offered new health information programs and services as a result of the sponsored training. Additionally, over 60% of respondents weeded or updated their library’s consumer health resources as a result of the training they received for the certificate. Respondents indicated that their intention to renew the CHIS certificate or obtain the more advanced, Level II specialization, was not certain. This research indicates that sponsorship of the certificate program was successful in increasing the capacity of public library staff to provide health information to their community.