Knowledge Gaps Among Public Librarians Seeking Vaccination Information: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Public libraries have been called the “first responders” to the specialized health information needs of the general public. The challenges inherent in consumer health information (CHI) service are centered around the Patron, the Librarian, the Information Resources, and the Library itself. The pilot study involved interviews with nine individual library workers in eight public libraries in four library systems: the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland, and Fairfax County in Virginia. Library workers were asked about common consumer health information requests, the nature of their collections, and the role of public libraries in meeting these information needs. The subjects were also presented with a hypothetical scenario, and their responses suggest knowledge gaps. The findings point to the increasing necessity and importance of training and support for public librarians, as well as the importance of understanding where the medical knowledge gaps exist. Public librarians need to commit to formal evaluation of their skill sets and knowledge gaps, in order to identify areas to which libraries can devote limited resources.

KEYWORDS:

• Consumer health information
• immunization
• information literacy
• librarians
• public health
• public libraries

Notes

*Note. Only system-level data available for these attributes.

¹Data source: Institute of Museum and Library Services. Public Library Survey, Fiscal Year 2010. http://www.imls.gov/research/public_libraries_in_the_united_states_survey.aspx (accessed April 15, 2013).

²Data source: U.S. Census. 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_DP03 (accessed April 15, 2013).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

CATHERINE ARNOTT SMITH

Catherine Arnott Smith, PhD ([email protected]) is Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 4263 Helen C. White Hall, 600 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706. Savreen Hundal, MA ([email protected]) is a Contractor, Center for Public Service Communication, Arlington, VA, and Research Assistant, National Institute of Health, 9278 Blue Steel Way, Lorton, VA 22079. Alla Keselman, PhD ([email protected]) is Senior Social Science Analyst, Division of Specialized Information Services, National Library of Medicine, NIH, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda MD 20817.