Many of these resources are recommended by promotores, members of the community who serve as connections between them and healthcare systems, information, and resources. Because promotores are the heart of their communities, they are able to deliver assistance where it is needed the most.

Vision y Compromiso (VyC), is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting, training, and most importantly celebrating promotores across the nation. Vision y Compromiso is marking 20 years of work devoted to improving the lives and health of their communities.

In response to the pandemic affecting Spanish-speaking communities Vision y Compromiso developed a series of webinars for participants to learn about trusted places to find health information, myths about COVID19, and how to take care of oneself during these safer at home times. Learn more!

Please share a few sentences about your position & what you do.
As Director, I am involved in the management and public side of library services - programming, acquisitions, marketing/website/social media, and public computers among other things.

Why did you want to receive Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS)?
I started by signing up for a few webinars that interested me and soon saw the value in a more comprehensive approach. Working toward the CHIS was the answer.

How have you used what you learned in NNLM CHIS courses in your work?   
My CHIS courses and NNLM helped enormously in updating and improving our health-related print collection. I also added a health information page on the library website to make it easier for staff and the public to find recommended online resources.

Why do you feel providing health information is important to your work/community?
Access to health information is vital to a community. The Internet is usually the first step for most people, but search engines don't always provide reliable results. The library can help by providing access to authoritative print and online resources.

Any tips or advice you have for someone interested in taking classes to achieve CHIS?
There are so many interesting courses and webinars available. I recommend taking "Stand Up for Health," which offers a solid overview of health resources.

First-time mother Dani McClain sets out to understand how to raise her daughter in what she knows to be an unjust and even hostile society in We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood. Nefertiti Austin recounts adoption for a single African-American woman in Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America. Finally, researchers and doulas from an organization known as Black Women Birthing Justice bring together the birth experiences of more than 100 California women to make recommendations for improving care in Battling Over Birth: Black Women and the Maternal Health Care Crisis. To select your title and get your book club conversation started, visit the NNLM Reading Club.