This guide is intended to not only equip librarians with health information they can use to assist their patrons, but to also provide librarians with the skills necessary to answer health information questions.
Information Topics
- Tips for the Health Reference Interview
- Internet Resources
The Health Reference Interview
Patrons can be reluctant to ask personal health questions. You can encourage them by:
- Providing a personal, private space in which to have the conversation.
- Assuring patrons their conversation with you is confidential due to your ethical and professional responsibilities as a librarian.
- Drawing out the patron by asking questions: What information have they already found?
Which resources have they consulted? - Reminding your patron of the risks of relying on Google for all their answers.
For further guidance on the health reference interview please read these guidelines from the American Library Association's division for Reference and User Services (RUSA). Additional trainings are available through the National Library of Medicine.
General Health
- Vermont Online Library - Gale Health and Welness
- If your library subscribes to the Vermont Online Library you will have access to the Health and Welness database.
The database contains both consumer appropiate information and access to medical journals.
- If your library subscribes to the Vermont Online Library you will have access to the Health and Welness database.
- MedlinePlus
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- PubMed
- This is the gold-standard for medical research worldwide containing citations and abstracts of over 5,000 journals.
Some of the more usefull links include:
- This is the gold-standard for medical research worldwide containing citations and abstracts of over 5,000 journals.
- Lab Tests Online
- This website lists different medical tests, reasons why they may be ordered, what it is like to
have the test, and normal values for the tests.
- This website lists different medical tests, reasons why they may be ordered, what it is like to
Nutrition and Fitness
- Harvard School for Public Health
- Physical Activity for Everyone
- Eating Healthy Vermont
- Get Moving Vermont
Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Medicine
- MedlinePlus: Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information
- Consumer Products Database
- Environmental Public Health Tracking Tool
- Herbal Supplements
- Merck Manual Drug Information
- Lact Med
- Drug information for nursing mothers.
Vermont Resources
- Disability and Aging Supports
- Department of Mental Health
- Vermont Health Connect
- Dr. Dynasaur
- Low-cost or free health coverage for children in Vermont
- Department of Health