Postgraduate training in Public Health Medicine: St George's Hospital Medical School Library Public Health Information Service

• Published in: Health information and libraries journal 2001-03, Vol.18 (1), p.38-44
• Main Authors: Rook, Rosemary, Adshead, Fiona
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cooperative Behavior; Education, Graduate; Environmental health; Health administration; Hospitals, University - organization & administration; Humans; Information Services - organization & administration; Information work; Job Description; Librarians; Libraries, Hospital - economics; Libraries, Hospital - manpower; Libraries, Hospital - organization & administration; London University, UK; Medical libraries; Models, Educational; Postgraduate students; Public Health - education; Schools, Medical - organization & administration; St George's Hospital Medical School; United Kingdom; University libraries; Users
• ISSN: 1471-1834; 1471-1842
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2532.2001.00307.x

This article examines the development of the St George's Hospital Medical School Library public health information service. Begun in 1997 as a pilot project to support Public Health Specialist Registrars in South Thames West, it is now an established part of postgraduate training in the region. An outline of the service is described, including the evolution of the post of Public Health Librarian. Issues influencing the development of the service, and the establishment of the Librarian as part of the public health network are discussed. This is a transferable model of public health information provision, which as a centralized resource makes best use of available funding. As a LIS model it is an effective and efficient way of maximizing resources, and delivering a service to a specialist user group that is spread across a wide geographical area.