Medical Library Association (MLA) Professional Comptencies

A health information professional locates, evaluates, synthesizes, and delivers authoritative information in response to biomedical and health inquiries.

At the core of what we do is find information to answer biomedical and health-related questions at the point of need. We are experts in assessing information needs and delivering information in a format and means of delivery best suited to the individuals and groups making requests.ption text goes here

DescOur strength is our ability to develop and organize collections tailored to specific audiences. In cataloging and classifying, including assigning metadata, we impose order to improve access. Traditionally, we have organized information resources into libraries, and personal records and artifacts into archives. Now, our expertise is being applied to organizing research data into collections that can be used electronically across institutions and countries. We know the value of and how to apply standards so that records of collections are universally comprehensible and enduring.ription text goes here

A health information professional educates others in the skills of bioscience, clinical, and health information literacy.

Librarians are educators. We help others, but we also enable people to be self-sufficient. What we teach continues to evolve, from how to use resources, to how to critically appraise research articles, to how to organize data collections. As the world becomes more and more an information space, there will be additional opportunities to teach information management skills. We also share our expertise with one another. Our teaching role requires that we be skilled in pedagogy and the use of technology-enhanced learning.escription text goes here

A health information professional manages personnel, time, budget, facilities, and technology and leads others to define and meet institutional goals.

Every health information professional has personal management responsibilities. Institutional management and leadership roles require skills beyond those learned through formal education. Management skills and a leader’s abilities affect the culture and performance of coworkers and the effectiveness of an institution.

A health information professional evaluates research studies, uses research to improve practice, conducts research, and communicates research results.

For many years, we have promoted and taught the skills of evidence-based medicine. Now, we need to apply these skills to our own practice. Not all of us are researchers in the academic sense, but we all have access to a wealth of data from local and published sources. Newer research methodologies—such as community-based action research, outcomes research, and data mining—may be useful in analyzing our activities and impact. As we develop research skills, we can use, create, and share evidence to improve practice.Item description