A Community-based Digital Consumer Health Library

University Of Wisconsin Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Consumer health information producers are generally universities, commercial information producers, and health institutions. Some of the information these entities provide is research oriented while other information is marketing and/or business related. The role of medical libraries is to act as broker of the health information--traditionally to meet the information needs of health professionals. However medical libraries and university health libraries continually expand their patronage to consumers seeking health information effectively changing their role to accommodate the health information needs of consumers. While attempting to meet the health information needs of the public, medical libraries and university health libraries are doing so in an ad hoc fashion. We would like to begin building the foundations of a different model of health information brokering--a community-centered, community-controlled service. This service would be provided by an established community organization, staffed by a professional health librarian or health information professional, and supervised by a board of community health professionals and citizens. The service will not only provide federal, statewide, and local health information to community citizens directly, it will also provide health information evaluation services to health institutions in the community. To demonstrate this, we will design, build, test, and evaluate a prototype service that will lay the foundation for a Community-based Consumer Health Digital Library.