Consumer health information services in public libraries in Canada and the US

In response to a growing demand from the public for health information resources, North American public libraries have provided varying levels of consumer health information (CHI) services since the 1970s. Due to the availability of funding in the US, many American public libraries have provided C...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Susan Murray
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Alberta 2008-12-01
Series:Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association
Online Access:https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/jchla/index.php/jchla/article/view/22859
Description
Summary:In response to a growing demand from the public for health information resources, North American public libraries have provided varying levels of consumer health information (CHI) services since the 1970s. Due to the availability of funding in the US, many American public libraries have provided CHI services, although the majority of these have been as partnerships with health sciences libraries or via the “Go Local” programs. In Canada, where no specific funding has been available for CHI services, few public libraries have set up CHI services; health information has generally been provided by augmenting health collections or “virtually,” i.e., by providing links to recommended electronic resources via the library’s Web site.
ISSN:1708-6892