140 - Network of the National Library of Medicine Support of the Medical Library Association's Disaster Information Specialization

Background: In May 2021, the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) established the Information Access Curriculum Working Group to identify and address workforce training needs around access to information. Regional offices solicited feedback from library staff and identified information access during ransomware attacks and natural disasters as pressing needs. In response, NNLM staff designed a webinar series to provide training that fulfills the Medical Library Association’s Disaster Information Specialization (DIS). The series equips learners with foundational skills in managing access to essential health-related information. These skills enable learners to provide services for supporting disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Description: The poster will describe the development and delivery of the webinar series, and will include images from the webinars and quotes from the evaluation forms. The process of course development and a description of DIS will be outlined. The successful inaugural series included the webinars “Creating a One Page Plan to Promote a Coordinated Response to a Disaster” and “Ransomware Attacks: What Medical Librarians Need to Know.”

Conclusion: The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) evaluated the webinar series by distributing a REDCap survey at the end of each webinar. Quotes from the evaluation forms will be included on the poster. Successes and plans for improvements in NNLM’s curriculum for the Medical Library Association’s Disaster Information Specialization will be driven by evaluation data.