Complementary competencies: public health and health sciences librarianship.

OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to identify opportunities for partnership between the communities of public health workers and health sciences librarians. METHODS: The authors review competencies in public health and health sciences librarianship. They highlight previously identified public health informatics competencies and the Medical Library Association's essential areas of knowledge. Based on points of correspondence between the two domains, the authors identify specific opportunities for partnership. RESULTS: The points of correspondence between public health and health sciences librarianship are reflected in several past projects involving both communities. These previous collaborations and the services provided by health sciences librarians at many public health organizations suggest that some health sciences librarians may be considered full members of the public health workforce. Opportunities remain for productive collaboration between public health workers and health sciences librarians. CONCLUSIONS: Drawing on historical and contemporary experience, this paper presents an initial framework for forming collaborations between health sciences librarians and members of the public health workforce. This framework may stimulate thinking about how to form additional partnerships between members of these two communities.

Defining and assessing medical informatics competencies.

As academic health sciences libraries assume larger roles in informatics instruction within medical school curricula, librarians are challenged to develop useful and accurate measures for assessing the effectiveness of instructional approaches. The need for this evaluation has intensified as medical schools increase their emphasis on integration of curriculum content and shift to competency-based education and assessment of medical students. This paper reports on a pilot project developed at Dahlgren Memorial Library, Georgetown University Medical Center, for two courses using an instructional intervention and tailored assignment for assessing student competencies.

The excitement of Google Scholar, the worry of Google Print.

In late 2004 Google announced two major projects, the unveiling of Google Scholar and a major expansion of the Google Print digitization program. Both projects have generated discussion within the library and research communities, and Google Print has received significant media attention.This commentary describes exciting educational possibilities stimulated by Google Scholar, and argues for caution regarding the Google Print project.