Librarians as information science specialists: Can they be gatekeepers for the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network?

Decision making for environmental public health practice and policy development has traditionally been difficult for public health professionals because data on health and the environment primarily exist in separate databases. Today's librarians need access to information resources and services that make critical information available to researchers, decision makers, policy specialists, and others. The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network) is a national network funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that now benefits both public health professionals and librarians. Launched in 2009, the Tracking Network provides consolidated and accessible health and environment data to better understand the connections between environmental exposures and some chronic health conditions. CDC and its partners have identified librarians as an ideal target audience for outreach because of their role as information disseminators and their desire to provide the best possible information science to their customers. A workgroup was formed to conduct a needs assessment and establish a framework for collaborating with librarians. This session will explore the characteristics of professional librarians; their role as information specialists; the audiences they serve; outreach strategies to connect with librarians; communication tools and products used by librarians; and communication opportunities for other public health topics.