Library and Information Services

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Overview

Libraries and information services have a critical role to increase the availability and use of healthcare information. Researchers, policymakers, health professionals, and citizens all need access to actionable information, relevant to their context, and in a language they can understand, to protect their own health and the health of others.

The HIFA Project on Library and Information Services (LIS) aims to leverage the individual and collective HIFA membership to support communication, understanding and advocacy for library and information services as they relate to global public health and evidence-informed decision making by health professionals, citizens, and policymakers. The project's focus includes global health, population health, disaster preparedness, emergencies, and disease outbreaks.

Scope:

  • The role of libraries and information services (including public and health/medical libraries; physical and digital)
  • Technical and financial support for libraries and information services
  • Professional skills and development of librarians and information professionals
  • Knowledge management
  • Health literacy, critical appraisal and related skills (for both 'providers' and 'users' of information). 

Sponsorship opportunity: Please contact us for details.

Activities

The working group will promote:

Communication:

  • Discussion on the HIFA forums about issues relating to LIS, including one or more dedicated 6-week thematic discussion(s)
  • Discuss who is doing what in Knowledge Management for Global Health
  • Discuss what is needed in KM for GH

Understanding:

  • Identify and integrate relevant HIFA Quotations and Citations into the HIFA Voices database
  • Undertake any other relevant activities as agreed by the group (for example, other HIFA Projects have undertaken surveys and literature reviews)
  • Identify areas where more research is needed to understand how governments can promote the availability and use of healthcare information in low and middle-income countries

Advocacy:

  • Raise global awareness of key issues, priorities and challenges (through HIFA forum discussions, HIFA social media, webinars, presentations and/or publications).

Timeline

March 2017: Launch of HIFA Library and Information Services Project

April-May 2017: Knowledge & Library Services Evidence Briefing (Caroline DeBrun, Public Health England)

June 2017: Project pesentation and workshop at EAHIL/ICML Congress, Dublin, Ireland

July-August 2017: HIFA thematic discussion #1: on Library and Information Services in Emergencies, Disasters and Disease Outbreaks 

August 2017: Publication of HIFA thematic discussion #1 (see Publications)

October-November 2017: HIFA thematic discussion #2: Evidence-Informed Humanitarian Action

January 2018: Publication of HIFA thematic discussion #2 (see Publications)

 

 

 

Publications
2018

Final analysis of the HIFA thematic discussion and PHE evidence briefing on Knowledge Management for Global Health and Disaster Preparedness

Caroline De Brún, PHE/HIFA LIS Project & Neil Pakenham-Walsh, HIFA
January 2018

HIFA Discussion on

Evidence-Informed Humanitarian Action

Messages SHORT EDIT, March 2018

2018

HIFA Discussion on

Evidence-Informed Humanitarian Action

Messages LONG EDIT, March 2018

HIFA Discussion on

Evidence-Informed Humanitarian Action

Messages IN FULL, December 2017

2017

Short Summary: HIFA thematic discussion and PHE evidence briefing on Knowledge Management for Global Health and Disaster Preparedness

Caroline De Brún, PHE/HIFA LIS Project & Neil Pakenham-Walsh, HIFA September 2017

 

2017

Evidence Briefing

What is the evidence around knowledge and library service provision and knowledge management to support global health, and disaster and emergency preparedness?

Dr Caroline De Brún, PHE/HIFA LIS Project
2nd June 2017

2017

HIFA Discussion on

Library and Information Services for Disasters, Emergencies, Disease Outbreaks

Messages IN FULL, August 2017

2017

HIFA Discussion on

Library and Information Services for Disasters, Emergencies, Disease Outbreaks

Messages EDITED, August 2017

Members
Name Country
Anne Madden Ireland
Anne Brice United Kingdom
Aoife Lawton Ireland
Bob Gann United Kingdom
Caroline De Brun United Kingdom
Chris Zielinski United Kingdom
Chris Hagar United States
Claire Allen United Kingdom
Dan Gerendasy United States
Isla Kuhn United Kingdom
Maria Musoke Uganda
Marshall Dozier United Kingdom
Neil Pakenham-Walsh United Kingdom
Ngozi Eunice Osadebe Nigeria
Pascal Mouhouelo Congo (Brazzaville)
Princess Uju Nwafor-Orizu Nigeria
Further information

HIFA is grateful to Public Health England for their financial support of this project.