Complementary competencies: public health and health sciences librarianship.
OBJECTIVE
The authors sought to identify opportunities for partnership between the communities of public health workers and health sciences librarians.


METHODS
The authors review competencies in public health and health sciences librarianship. They highlight previously identified public health informatics competencies and the Medical Library Association's essential areas of knowledge. Based on points of correspondence between the two domains, the authors identify specific opportunities for partnership.


RESULTS
The points of correspondence between public health and health sciences librarianship are reflected in several past projects involving both communities. These previous collaborations and the services provided by health sciences librarians at many public health organizations suggest that some health sciences librarians may be considered full members of the public health workforce. Opportunities remain for productive collaboration between public health workers and health sciences librarians.


CONCLUSIONS
Drawing on historical and contemporary experience, this paper presents an initial framework for forming collaborations between health sciences librarians and members of the public health workforce. This framework may stimulate thinking about how to form additional partnerships between members of these two communities.
Banks
Marcus A
MA
Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA. banksm01@library.med.nyu.edu
Cogdill
Keith W
KW
Selden
Catherine R
CR
Cahn
Marjorie A
MA
D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D016245:Librarians; D007993:Libraries, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007999:Library Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D011634:Public Health; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States