HLA Advocacy, Research, Marketing and Awards
Health Libraries Australia (HLA) is the national professional organisation representing librarians and information professionals working in all health sectors including: hospitals and other clinical facilities, research institutes, regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government departments, regional health services, professional colleges, universities, cooperative research centres, not-for-profit and community organisations, and parts of public library services. The vision of Health Libraries Australia is that all Australians benefit from health library and information professionals’ expertise that is integral to evidence based health care.
Awards
Anne Harrison
HLA / Telstra Health Digital Health Innovation
Research and Projects
ALIA HLA is currently working on a number of projects including updating the HLA Competencies and the HLA Guidelines. They are also looking into running some Consumer Health pilot projects with Public Libraries.
Medical College Accreditation Project
Work has been undertaken to demonstrate the important role health libraries play in Australian medical training programs. Here you will find an overview of the medical colleges and associations which have medical training programs with specific library requirements highlighted. Based on a review of documents with inconsistency and vague terminology, the below benchmark statement covers off requirements that Colleges and Associations should include as they update their accreditation requirements. HLA endorses the following Recommendations:
There is access to a curated collection of high-quality information via a health library with online access appropriately configured for physician training.
The health library is staffed by qualified librarians with expertise in literature searching and research practices who provide training and individualised support to trainees undertaking research.
The site shall provide access to a physical health library space with current and relevant resources, study space and computing facilities equipped with supportive software for research.
Update: This work has now been published in the MJA – Time to set a standard for the standards: health libraries provide crucial support for Australian medical training programs (Gemma Siemensma, Anna Griffith, Alice Anderson, Angela Smith)
Marketing and Promotion
10 ways that library and information services power the health sector handout
Library and Information Week poster 2020
Library and Information Week poster 2019
Library and Information Week banner 2019
Library and Information Week poster 2018
Library and Information Week banner 2018
Library and Information Week poster 2017
HLA Poster 2017-1
HLA Poster 2017-2
HLA Poster 2017-3
HLA Poster 2016-1
HLA Poster 2016-2
Advocacy and Submissions
HLA works to develop a highly skilled and professional workforce with the capacity to deliver services and resources that support safe and quality clinical practice.
NSQHS Standards – Health Library Accreditation Guidance, Examples & Templates, (2024)
HLA Statement on Hospital Libraries (2024)
HLA, ALIA and Australian Indigenous communities urge NLM to update their indigenous MeSH term (Jul 2022)
Submission to the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (Jul 2008)
View ALIA Submissions (all ALIA submissions)
Reports, Publications & Presentations