On October 7th, Elaine R. Martin, Director of Library Services, and Aaron Lazare, Chancellor/Dean, accepted the Blue Ribbon Consumer Health Information Recognition Award for Libraries for Massachusetts on behalf of the Lamar Soutter Library at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Commissioner Edward Bertorelli presented the award on behalf of the United States National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS).

"The purpose of the awards is to help increase awareness of healthy lifestyles and to honor libraries which, as natural providers of trusted information, have in place programs designed to help their users access the health information they need to have," said NCLIS Chair Beth Fitzsimmons.

"Through the program’s outreach and training efforts, particularly its partnering with local hospitals, community groups, health agencies, public libraries, and other state agencies, the Library serves as a resource and shares its expertise with a wide-ranging group of users and information providers, epitomizing the concept of knowledge development and knowledge sharing, one of the basic tenets of professional librarianship,” said Fitzsimmons.

The NCLIS is an independent agency of the federal government. The consumer health programs of the winning libraries will be compiled into a best practices report, which will be published by NCLIS later this year.