NNLM Guide for the International Indigenous Librarians Forum 2023

Posted by Emily Hamstra on September 28th, 2023 Posted in: News from NNLM Region 5
Tags: NNLM Region 5, professional development

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The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), Region 5 is proud to participate in the International Indigenous Librarians Forum (IILF) 2023 as a Kō Sponsor.

This blogpost introduces the NNLM to IILF participants and provides information about resources available to librarians inside and outside of the United States.

Welcome to the NNLM!

The mission of the NNLM is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing all U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving the public’s access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health.

If your library is in the United States and U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States, your library is eligible to become an organizational member of the NNLM. Membership is free and allows your library to apply for funding opportunities for health information-related programs, projects, or professional development. Funding is provided by the NNLM Regions, and funding opportunities vary by Region. Contact your NNLM Region for more information.

Free Classes and Webinars

NNLM’s classes and webinars are free and open to all. Registration is required to attend, and you will need to create a user account to register (if you don’t already have one).

Most NNLM classes and webinars are recorded, and recordings are posted to NNLM’s YouTube Channel within a few weeks after the live webinar. Additionally, we offer many classes that you can take at your own pace. The NNLM offers many courses that count towards the specialization requirements for specializations from the Medical Library Association. If you are interested in earning your Consumer Health Information Specialization or Data Services Specialization from the Medical Library Association, your NNLM Region will pay for your specialization fees (U.S. only).

The NNLM offers webinars on health topics. In March 2024, we’re hosting an Environmental Health Webinar series featuring expert speakers. Watch the NNLM.gov website for registration information.

Looking for training opportunities for your library patrons? The NNLM All of Us Program Center offers training on digital literacy skills.

Health Information Resources & Guides

The NNLM promotes resources available from the National Library of Medicine, all of which are free to access:

• PubMed is an index of more than 36 million article and book citations in biomedical and life sciences. Some PubMed citations include links to free full-text articles from PubMed Central and publisher websites. Access to some articles may be subject to your library’s journal subscriptions. The PubMed index is updated daily.
• MedlinePlus provides the public with authoritative and up-to-date information on health and wellness, diseases, drugs and supplements, and more. MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish, with some resources available in other languages.
• The History of Medicine division of the National Library of Medicine provides access to digital collections, online exhibits including Native Voices: native peoples’ concepts of health and illness, and Traveling Exhibits program.

NNLM’s Guides provide recommended health information and research resources for a variety of groups such as Health Sciences Libraries and Public Libraries.

The NNLM’s Reading Club encourages libraries to host book discussions on book featuring health topics, with recommended book titles accompanied by a discussion guide and related health information resources.

Bibliographies of books on health topics, reflecting diverse communities served by libraries in NNLM Region 5, are listed in the Diverse Voices in Health & Medicine Collections Toolkit.

Learn more

Are you interested in connecting with the NNLM, and aren’t sure where to start? We’re here to help! Contact the NNLM Region 5 office (nnlm@uw.edu) and tell us about your library and professional interests.