Health Insurance Literacy in Libraries

​​​​​​Many people have difficulty knowing how to find a physician, fill a prescription, use and pay for medications, and use health information to make informed decisions about their health. Libraries are prominent places in communities, making libraries and librarians excellent resources for advancing health information literacy. For example, librarians can address the unmet information needs that leave many unable to make appropriate health insurance choices. For those with lower levels of health insurance literacy, the ability to procure appropriate levels of health…
Date: November 8, 2023

How PubMed Works: Introduction

This How PubMed Works: Introduction session addresses increasing health information access and use by highlighting information about the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed bibliographic database.  

This 90-minute introduction session provides overviews about:

• What PubMed is and what's in it.
• Finding the original research that is the basis for a news article.
• Finding articles by a specific author.
• Searching for articles on a specific subject.
• Narrowing search results to a more specific subset…
  Date: November 7, 2023

Creating Data Management Plans with the DMPTool

The DMPTool is a free tool that walks users through creating comprehensive data management plans. This webinar will guide attendees through data management plan basics, creating a DMPTool profile, and exploring available templates and planning resources.

The DMPTool is a great resource for building data management plans for grant applications, especially considering that starting in January 2023 the NIH requires funded researchers to submit a plan outlining how scientific data from their research will be managed and shared.

Deciphering the Social Media Pulse: Twitter's Role in Shaping COVID-19 Health Beliefs and Vaccine Perceptions

In this presentation, we'll explore the profound influence of social media, specifically Twitter, on shaping public health beliefs and perceptions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The first study uses Tweets to understand how COVID-19–related health beliefs are affected in the age of social media. We delve into a dataset of over 92 million tweets to gauge health beliefs using the health belief model. Alarmingly, it reveals that both scientific and nonscientific events influence health belief trends on Twitter equivalently, amplifying the challenge of the…
Date: November 1, 2023

Harm Reduction in Action: Language as Harm Reduction

October is Health Literacy Month! In celebration of health literacy month, please join us in bringing awareness to health literacy. 

Harm Reduction in Action: Language as Harm Reduction views language as the first step to a positive interaction. Focusing on the importance of person-centered language as a gateway into harm reduction practices and technique to build trust with people who use drugs.

Join our guest speaker Miera Corey. Miera is a Maryland Harm Reduction Training Institute (MaHRTI) Coordinator.

Ms. Corey is a Morgan State University…
Date: October 31, 2023

Effective Health Communication and Health Literacy: Understanding the Connection - October 25 2023

How are health communication and health literacy connected? How can you be more effective in providing health information to consumers, patients, clients, library patrons and your community?  This 1 hour webinar introduces the concepts of health literacy and health communication, outlines components of clear health communication, and identifies online resources from NLM, government agencies and other recognized resources for health literacy and health communication.

Navigating Food Insecurity: Understanding the Complexities of the Food Environment

This presentation delves into the complexities of food environments and their impact on food security. We will explore the factors that influence individuals' ability to access, prepare, and consume food, shedding light on often-overlooked aspects of the food environment.

The presentation introduces Dr. Basey’s study about hunger and food insecurity in Georgia. The study examines how household characteristics, personal factors, and socioeconomic status in any region of the United States can shape food insecurity and its effects on health. It underscores the…
Date: October 24, 2023

Region 1 Update & Townhall

NNLM Region 1 invites members from DE, KY, MD, NJ, NC, PA, VA, WV, and DC to join us for an update and town hall. The purpose of the town hall is to deepen connections with network members within the region. We will introduce or refresh knowledge of NNLM services available and allow participants to provide feedback, ask questions, and suggest new ways of engagement.

During the session there will be time for attendees to ask questions, offer feedback or suggestions, and brainstorm on improving outreach, engagement, training, and funding. 

By registering for…
Date: October 24, 2023

Fatness and libraries: Amplifying the Voices of Fat Librarians in DEIA work, A Region 6 Spotlight Speaker

As both popular and scholarly discussions of weight discrimination, fat representation, and anti-fatness gain momentum, library and information professionals must be prepared to participate in and lead conversations about fatness and our work. This presentation will report on findings from nearly twenty hours of interviews with public-facing librarians, including those from public, school, academic, and special libraries, who shared their wide-ranging experiences navigating the profession in fat bodies. In reflecting on the experiences of these librarians, participants will be asked to…
Date: October 19, 2023

The Future Will See You Now: AI for Healthcare, A Library’s Perspective

Newly released AI tools are poised to dramatically disrupt multiple industries, including healthcare and libraries. We’ll explore numerous healthcare applications that use AI, both current and in development - from a new industry-saving “bot workforce” to self-driving microscopes. In this special edition of Health Bytes, we’ll discuss the criticisms and concerns this technology is garnering and its potential effect on jobs, education, and libraries. With AI, comes the need for more student–centered learning and greater information literacy needs which…
Date: October 18, 2023