HSLS Librarian Awarded Informationist Training Grant
Congratulations to Barbara Folb, HSLS reference librarian and Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) library liaison, who has been awarded a two-year informationist training grant from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) titled Public Health Informationist Training for Academic Public Health Practice.
An informationist is an information specialist who has training and practical experience in a specific health care discipline. Informationists are integrated into the workplace of the practitioners, instructors, and researchers whom they support. NLM offers informationist grants for clinical medicine, biomedical research, education, and public health.
Folb’s fellowship grant will allow her to complete a Masters of Public Health in behavioral and community health sciences with a special certification in evaluation. She also will complete a practicum at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Public Health Practice (CPHP) and a research project with the Pennsylvania Preparedness Leadership Institute (PPLI). Folb’s research with PPLI will explore the information practices, preferences, and unmet needs of this population. The fellowship sponsor is Margaret Potter, associate dean for public health practice and director of CPHP at GSPH.
Folb has worked at HSLS since 1999, beginning as an outreach/reference librarian at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. In her current role as the GSPH liaison, Folb provides instruction and library support to faculty, students, and staff of GSPH. For the past four years she has served as project manager for the Public Health Information Alliance which provides knowledge based information, document delivery, and reference assistance to the Allegheny County Health Department. Folb holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University (BFA), Youngstown State University (MM), and University of Pittsburgh (MLS).
The fellowship will run from January 2008 through December 2009. Upon completion, Folb will work as a public health informationist with HSLS and GSPH.
--Melissa Ratajeski
