CREATING COMMON SKILLS ACROSS THE SYSTEM Strathclyde University has undertaken research on the role that “information can have in improving skills and understanding for the most intermediaries” disadvantaged people. The findings set out a set of that people in “common skills” this role can adopt and develop to promote understanding: people’s They can help to recognise where information needs exist and take measured, purposeful action that takes account of the context; They can be a key source of information in themselves, and a key connection to other sources of information; and They can tailor and personalise information for relevance, and communicate in ways that take into account individual health literacy levels. These skills of can be developed into a set of competencies “common connectors” that span sectors, situations and contexts to build a more health literate society. 1. Buchanan, S., Jardine, C., & Ruthven, I.: Information behaviours in disadvantaged and dependent circumstances and the role of information intermediaries. In submission, (2017) The Role of Librarians The has a strand that relates to the promotion of social wellbeing. can be key partners in tackling the problems of social isolation, inequality, “Libraries disadvantage, fractured communities and ill health. Libraries provide an important space and resource for many disadvantaged people in a non-judgmental, public space, open to all.” clearly an appetite for librarians to play a more active role in signposting There’s people to useful sources of health and care information. We will work with them to develop resources that better meets needs by building upon the people’s “common identified by the Strathclyde University research. skills” THE ROLES THAT LIBRARIANS CAN PLAY Ref: CILIP and University of Salford
CREATING COMMON SKILLS ACROSS THE SYSTEM Strathclyde University has undertaken research on the role that “information intermediaries” can have in improving skills and understanding for the most disadvantaged people. The findings set out a set of “common skills” that people in this role can adopt and develop to promote people’s understanding: They can help to recognise where information needs exist and take measured, purposeful action that takes account of the context; They can be a key source of information in themselves, and a key connection to other sources of information; and They can tailor and personalise information for relevance, and communicate in ways that take into account individual health literacy levels. These “common skills of connectors” can be developed into a set of competencies that span sectors, situations and contexts to build a more health literate society. 1. Buchanan, S., Jardine, C., & Ruthven, I.: Information behaviours in disadvantaged and dependent circumstances and the role of information intermediaries. In submission, (2017) The Role of Librarians The has a strand that relates to the promotion of social wellbeing. “Libraries can be key partners in tackling the problems of social isolation, inequality, disadvantage, fractured communities and ill health. Libraries provide an important space and resource for many disadvantaged people in a non-judgmental, public space, open to all.” There’s clearly an appetite for librarians to play a more active role in signposting people to useful sources of health and care information. We will work with them to develop resources that better meets people’s needs by building upon the “common skills” identified by the Strathclyde University research. THE ROLES THAT LIBRARIANS CAN PLAY Ref: CILIP and University of Salford