Consumer Health Minute: Collection Management

Posted by Carolyn Martin on August 22nd, 2019 Posted in: Health Literacy, Public Libraries, Training & Education
Tags: collection development, collection management, consumer health, health literacy

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Back in the day, before the Internet, the majority of our resources were in print. Our patrons would enter the library to peruse our collections for information they needed or approached the reference desk to ask the librarian for assistance who would then often direct the patron to a reference tome or an item on the shelf.

Now days, it is rarer for us to turn to the printed format and many times, what we need is often found online. Publishers of consumer health reference books are also moving their content online and it is becoming more difficult to find authoritative consumer health information in books.

Many library staff have stated that their patrons want print, in other words, books. In our NNLM classes and conference sessions we often recommend specific online resources as the best resources for providing quality health information for patrons. As information providers, we need to acknowledge that certain online information is more current and more reliable.  And of course, online content can be printed.

Recently, Francesca Goldsmith, expert librarian and author, presented, “Collection Management for Healthy Communities”, on the NNLM webinar series, Kernel of Knowledge. The 1 hour session was recorded and Goldsmith provides library staff with the rationale and support in choosing appropriate online and print health related resources for your communities, as well as addressing  the issue of print books versus online resources. Goldsmith will help you feel more confident in building your library’s health collection.