Students will be able to perform effectively in the library and information professions by demonstrating competency in the provision of information services.
By the conclusion of the master’s degree program, students should be able to:
• design a variety of information services to meet the needs of diverse users, including onsite, remote, and underserved users
• identify, evaluate, manage, and use information resources and sources effectively
• apply critical-thinking, information-seeking, and problem-solving skills to analyze users’ inquiries and match them with appropriate and accessible resources
• provide users with professional consultation during the information service encounter
• apply up-to-date technology strategically to improve services and enhance access to information resources
• adapt and apply learning theories and principles in the design and delivery of best practices to promote information literacy
The artifact for this competency is the LibGuide below. It is interactive within this window or it can be opened in a new window by using this web address: https://libguides.nvcc.edu/consumerhealth
During my internship with the Northern Virginia Community College Medical Education Campus Library, I created this publicly accessible LibGuide for students, faculty, staff, and community members to learn about and access resources for consumer health. In the creation of this LibGuide, I demonstrated mastery of the provision of information services by designing a variety of information services to meet the needs of diverse users, including onsite, remote, and underserved users. I identified, evaluated, and used information and resources to effectively support the consumer health needs of the community. The Consumer Health LibGuide includes a plain language explanation of health literacy plus resources for learning about health literacy and improving health literacy. Additionally, it includes library book recommendations for learning about different aspects of health. There are links to free digital resources in multiple languages, information on and links to resources specific to the Medical Education Campus, links to local resources and services, and linked resources for special topics and specific populations. I applied up-to-date technology strategically to improve services and enhance access to information resources by consolidating a range of scattered resources into one easy-to-use LibGuide.
The Consumer Health LibGuide is designed to include a variety of information services to meet the needs of a diverse community, especially those who may struggle to locate and access health resources. To that end, the site includes a range of information and tools in multiple formats, at different reading levels, and in multiple languages. For each population or health topic, there are several resources, with the aim being to provide a variety of resources without being overwhelming to the user. All resources in the LibGuide were vetted by myself, as both an MLIS student and a Registered Nurse, and the Lead Medical Librarian to ensure the information provided is accurate, appropriate, and current. The guide is organized into clear, concise parts to promote easy navigation. Information that was related to more than one subheading is located in multiple places in the guide to accommodate users who may only take one path to find their answers or seek information in just one area. Links to outside sources include brief explanations so that users understand what the link leads to before clicking on it.
Because one of the goals of this project was to meet the needs of a diverse community and user group, identifying what resources to highlight and include was a challenge. I learned that, while I want to meet the needs of everyone all at once, it is critical to consider the capacity and effectiveness of the tool being used. As a relative newcomer to the community and the profession, it was critical that I consulted with the Lead Medical Librarian, other library staff, campus outreach coordinators, and student services officers to ensure the page covered any commonly requested resources or topics. Including a variety of information in the LibGuide, ranging from linked resources to terminology and explanations, broadened the tool's usefulness to meet an even wider variety of user needs. However, prioritizing what resources were shared to avoid overloading the site and the users proved to be equally important. I was limited in what images and accessibility features could be included in the guide, based on the technology and the college's guidelines. The site is designed to be aesthetically pleasing, easy to read, and functional across all devices, and additional accessibility features or formatting will be added as they become available.