Abstract:
These guidelines are for all information services staff (hereafter referred to as “staff”), regardless ofquestions or library type. Health and Medical Reference refers to questions that pertain to any aspect ofhealth, medicine, or biomedicine, including but not limited to consumer health, patient health, public health,environmental health, complementary and alternative medicine, biomedical research, and clinical medicine.
The purpose of these guidelines is to assist staff in responding to health or medical inquiries. For staff who rarely answer medical questions, the Guidelines are intended to assist staff to be prepared and feel confident that they are providing the best possible response. For staff who regularly answer medical questions, the Guidelines are intended to ensure that reference skills are well-rounded.
