Career Path: Health

A master's degree in library and information science provides diverse opportunities for professionals seeking to make a meaningful impact as trusted health information experts. Information professionals facilitate access to health information, resources and programming to their communities in a variety of settings.

Health sciences librarians play a crucial role in academic and medical institutions to enhance heath care, education and research. This may include managing and curating specialized collections (e.g., health information, digital resources and data), assisting with research data management and collaborating with healthcare professionals and many others to ensure that the best available health information is available to all.
Research data librarians use their skills to help organize and facilitate access to health-related data.
Reference and consumer health librarians serve as valuable resources in academic and public libraries, guiding patrons in navigating large amounts of information to locate reliable health information to make informed decisions.
Embedded information specialists integrate into healthcare teams, providing vital information services and expert literature searching skills.
Clinical and instruction librarians contribute to evidence-based practices by designing educational programs and supporting healthcare professionals, students and other stakeholders in accessing the latest research.
Liaison librarians establish partnerships between libraries, faculty and departments to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange in the ever-evolving field of health.
Public librarians offer dynamic opportunities to extend health-related services and programming to users. Librarians can integrate health literacy into children and family programming, fostering a foundation for lifelong well-being. They can also play a role in promoting culinary literacy by organizing gardening, cooking and nutrition courses, creating spaces that empower communities to make informed and healthy choices.