Obtain a Specialization

NNLM supports continuing education programs and specializations for library and public health audiences.

Classes

Find free continuing education classes to support access to health information.

Application Fee Sponsorship

NNLM provides financial support to cover the application fee for the Medical Library Association's specializations, including: 

  • Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS)
  • Data Services Specialization (DSS)
  • Systematic Review Services Specialization (SRSS)

Once you’ve met the credit requirements, simply fill out a short form to receive a coupon code that covers the cost of your application. Within two weeks of completing the application fee sponsorship form, you will receive an email from MLA with next steps. Applications are welcome from both currently employed and job-seeking professionals in the library field. All library workers and students in library or information science graduate programs are eligible. After submitting your specialization application to MLA, you’ll receive a formal letter of recognition—an excellent way to showcase your expertise. For questions or issues with the form, please email nto@utah.edu. 

Learn More

CHES logoLearn about NNLM training that supports Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), a certification given to individuals who have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in health education.

About CHES

Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) is a certification given by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) to individuals who have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in health education or significant coursework in this field. The CHES examination measures possession, application and interpretation of knowledge in the Eight Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists:

  • Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity
  • Area II: Planning
  • Area III: Implementation
  • Area IV: Evaluation and Research
  • Area V: Advocacy
  • Area VI: Communication
  • Area VII: Leadership and Management
  • Area VIII: Ethics and Professionalism

These responsibilities are defined by the most current U.S.-based practice analysis study. Those who receive the CHES certification must complete 75 hours of continuing education every five years to keep their certification.

How to Earn CHES Credit

NNLM offers continuing education for those with the CHES certification for select classes that align with one or more of the eight areas of responsibility. Note: You must attend our CHES-approved webinars during the live session to earn CHES credit or sign up for one of our approved self-paced, online classes that qualify for CHES. To learn more, check out the current list of NNLM CHES-approved classes.

The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) is the body responsible for this certification. More information about obtaining this certification and continuing education opportunities outside of NNLM can be found on the NCHEC website.

Contact

For more information on CHES learning opportunities through NNLM, contact the Public Health Coordination Office.

MLA CHIS logoLearn about the Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS), a program from the Medical Library Association recognizing your skills in finding and communicating health information to consumers.

About CHIS

CHIS stands for Consumer Health Information Specialization, a program provided by the Medical Library Association (MLA). The MLA Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) offers training in providing health information services to consumers and recognition for the accomplishment of acquiring new health information skills.

Why Get a CHIS?

Librarians know the life-saving and life-enhancing value of accurate evidence-based health information. By earning CHIS, you acquire skills and knowledge needed to become a confident, expert provider of health information to your community. Your CHIS shows employers, colleagues, and the public you serve that you are committed to offering quality consumer health information services and to staying current with developments in consumer health information resources, technologies, and services.

Read our article, "Impact of a consumer health information specialization (CHIS) sponsorship program on the ability of public library staff to provide consumer health information" (free, JMLA, July 2021), and discover the value of CHIS training in providing health information services. 

Level 1

To qualify for CHIS Level 1, take any combination of courses or webinars that cover competencies 1-5. Once competencies 1-5 are covered, you can take any combination of webinars or courses from NNLM to reach 12 hours of CE. 

  1. Know the Community
  2. Know the Health Consumer
  3. Knowledge of Subject Matter and Resources
  4. Evaluation of Health Information
  5. Communication, Reference, and Instruction

Level 2

To earn Level 2 CHIS, you need an additional 12 CE hours worth of courses and webinars. Those 12 CE must cover core competencies 6-8:

  1. Literacy and Health Literacy
  2. Technology and Health
  3. Ethical and Legal Issues

You can read more descriptions of the competencies on MLA's CHIS page. Competencies are also listed on the individual NNLM class pages.

How to Earn CHIS Credit

We offer CHIS credit via live webinars, scheduled online classes, and on-demand online classes.

Upcoming Sessions

On-demand Classes

On-demand means you can complete the online class on your own time and at your own pace. On-demand classes are offered via the NNLM's Moodle learning management system.

NNLM Sponsorship and Application Fee

CHIS Application Fee

The CHIS application fee $99 and the specialization is valid for 3 years, at which point it must be renewed to remain valid. 

NNLM Sponsorship

NNLM application fee sponsorships are available to residents of any NNLM region and U.S. citizens living outside the U.S. 

NNLM sponsors the CHIS application fee for level 1 or level 2 for library workers, including renewals. Once you've completed the necessary coursework, fill out the sponsorship form.

Contact

  1. For questions about NNLM CHIS classes, contact your Regional Medical Library.
  2. For questions about the CHIS application process and program, contact the MLA Professional Development department.

In partnership with the Medical Library Association, NNLM is pleased to guide LIS and iSchool instructors through getting their course approved as a consumer health course for students to earn their Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) certification.

About CHIS

In partnership with the Medical Library Association (MLA), NNLM offers LIS and iSchool programs a unique opportunity to have health information-related courses approved for the Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS). This allows students to earn a nationally recognized certification as part of their LIS/iSchool education and demonstrate to potential employers their knowledge and skills in providing health information services to their communities.

The opportunity is open to LIS and iSchool instructors teaching health information-related courses, including consumer health information, health informatics, and health sciences librarianship. Any LIS/iSchool program in the country is eligible to participate.

What Are the Requirements to Have Your Class Approved to Offer CHIS?

Your course must address one or more of the eight core competencies for providing consumer health information services. NNLM and MLA will work with you to ensure that your coursework entails the CHIS competencies listed below.

CHIS Competencies

Required for Level 1

  • CHIS-S1 - Know the Community
  • CHIS-S2- Know the Health Consumer
  • CHIS-S3 - Knowledge of Subject Matter and Resources
  • CHIS-S4 - Evaluation of Health Information
  • CHIS-S5- Communication, Reference, and Instruction

Required for Level 2, in addition to Level 1 requirements

  • CHIS-S6 - Literacy and Health Literacy
  • CHIS-S7 - Technology and Health
  • CHIS-S8 - Ethical and Legal Issues

Additionally, each Level requires a certain number of credits. A level 1 requires 12 CE credits, and a level 2 requires a total of 24 CE credits. These credits are determined by the number of hours students will spend working in the class throughout the semester.

Benefits for Professors and Students

Teaching a CHIS-certified course in your LIS or iSchool program is a great opportunity for students to show they have gained the knowledge and skills in providing health information services to consumers and an extra skill to add to their resume. These skills are designed for a wide range of librarians and information professional, such as:

  • Public librarians
  • Medical librarians
  • Librarians working in the consumer health environment.
  • Anyone interested in providing reliable resources to their community!

Additionally, offering CHIS is a great incentive during open registration to increase the number of students signing up for the class.

Is There a Fee?

No! With this partnership, MLA will waive the approved course application fee for professors participating in the program. Additionally, NNLM will cover the CHIS application fee (a $99 value) for level 1 or level 2, including renewals for students who complete the course.

Student Feedback

"This has been my favorite course in my MLA program so far. I gained knowledge of resources I can use in the field, and really appreciate [my professor] arranging for the course to count towards CHIS certification through MLA."

"I just wanted to share something that happened to me today that I was better prepared for because of your classes. I had a patron coming in looking for a book on schizophrenia. She needed more information on the basis of the diagnosis. However; all of our books were more of biographies or of medical advancements in treating it. I was able to direct her to MedlinePlus and show her how to do a basic search in order for her to find the information she was needing. It was the highlight of my day being able to help someone with a medical reference question, and I just wanted to share."

“I decided to take this class because my current library manager has informed me that there are very few people employed by the county with any consumer health information know-how. With this under my belt, and the benefit of the CHIS, I will have a much higher chance of acquiring a better job than the one which I currently hold.”

How to Apply

Follow the steps below to get your LIS or iSchool class approved by MLA to offer CHIS certificates.

  1. Contact the NNLM Training Office (nto@utah.edu) and Nicki Mehall (nicki.mehall@mlahq.org) from MLA to notify your interest in applying to get your course approved to become an MLA consumer health information course.
  2. Email Nicki Mehall your course syllabus, how many MLA CE credits the class qualifies for, and a description of how the course covers one or more of the eight CHIS competencies for review. The number of CE credits offered is determined by the number of work hours students will spend in the class. For example, if students spend a total of 15 hours on coursework for the class, then they will qualify for 15 MLA CE credits. To offer a Level 1 CHIS, the class must cover competencies 1-5 and require a minimum of 12 credit hours. For a Level 2 CHIS, the class will need to cover competencies 1-8, and require a minimum of 24 credit hours. For more information about the CHIS competencies, view the Consumer Health Information Specialization page to learn more.
  3. Once MLA verifies that your course aligns with one or more CHIS competencies, MLA will provide additional instructions to get your course set up in MEDLIB-ED and will provide you instructions on how students can earn their after completing your course. 

 

FAQ

What to do once I'm approved to offer CHIS? 

MLA will provide you with an enrollment code and instructions to provide to your students on how to claim MLA CE credit. You will provide this information to your students once the semester has ended. 

How can students apply for their CHIS? 

There are three main steps that students will need to follow to receive their CHIS. Students must complete the steps in this order to ensure they are able to earn their CHIS for free. 

  1. Claim MLA CE credit at MEDLIB-ED. Students will need the enrollment code for this step. Here is a helpful video on how students claim credit on MEDLIB-ED.  
  2. Submit their NNLM Specialization Sponsorship Application. MLA will provide next steps on how to finalize your CHIS application.
  3. Follow the instructions provided by MLA to complete their CHIS application. 

How can students get CHIS for FREE?

After students have claimed credit through MEDLIB-ED, students will apply for the NNLM Specialization Sponsorship. Once submitted, MLA will email the student next steps on how to finalize their application. 

Does the enrollment code expire?

Yes, the enrollment does expire. Prior to the semester starting, reach out to Nicki Mehall at to ensure that the enrollment code is up-to-date. If it has expired, Nicki will provide you with a new enrollment code to provide to your students. 

Do students need to be an MLA member to obtain their CHIS?

No. Students are not required to be an MLA member. They will need to create a free account to apply for their CHIS. 

Contact

If you have any questions, contact the NNLM Training Office at nto@utah.edu. 

Are you interested in teaching CHIS classes in your community? This overview contains materials for teaching several of our most popular consumer health classes to support health information professionals in providing quality health information in local communities.

 

About CHIS

CHIS stands for Consumer Health Information Specialization, a program the Medical Library Association (MLA) provides. The MLA Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) offers training in providing health information services to consumers and recognition for acquiring new health information skills.

Topics

  1. Health Outreach and Programming: Practical guidance on developing engaging health outreach programs for libraries as well as community and faith-based organizations, including program planning, partnership development, and the use of NLM and NIH resources for a wide variety of audiences.
  2. Providing Health Resources: Explore the connection between health literacy and health communication, including strategies for delivering clear, effective health information and identifying trusted resources from NLM, government agencies, and other recognized organizations.
  3. MedlinePlus: Learn to effectively provide mental health information to care providers and the public through authoritative electronic and print materials, including key NLM resources, while offering practical strategies for managing interactions with emotional patrons.
  4. Providing Mental Health Resources: Delve into rural health disparities and discover tools and resources to address the health information needs of rural communities.

Many of these classes focus on MedlinePlus. If you would like a refresher on MedlinePlus, please review the Introduction to MedlinePlus slides or the MedlinePlus Tutorial for Librarians and Health Educators.

Funding Statement

This program was developed by the NNLM National Training Office (NTO) and National All of Us Program (NAPC) with funding from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Cooperative Agreement Number UG4LM013732

All materials provided here are public domain and freely available for re-use. Please acknowledge NLM as the source of the information by including the phrase “Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine” or “Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine.”

 

Teaching NNLM Classes

Any individual or entity may use NNLM materials to create and offer classes. In order to offer Continuing Education credits for the approved class through the Medical Library Association via NNLM, the class must closely follow the approved materials and timing. Please reach out to your Region to coordinate. 

Who May Teach CHIS Classes

We recommend instructors either:
A) have a current CHIS Level 1 or 2 
OR
B) have completed 5 modules of CHIS On-Demand plus review MedlinePlus Tutorial for Librarians and Health Educators

AND complete or review a recording of the class you plan to teach. 

Once you select a class to teach, review the slides and handouts. 

What cannot be changed

  • Title (though you may make additions to specify location, audience, conference, etc.)
  • Learning objectives
  • The overall class outline, including hands-on activities, should be generally followed
  • Length (by more than 30 minutes)

What can be changed

  • You may change search terms, geographic areas, stories, or other examples to better fit the audience you are teaching
  • Pictures: NNLM strives to use diverse and inclusive images and examples in our classes. You may change the images to connect with your audience.
  • Format: an NNLM webinar may be taught as a face-to-face class.

Process

  1. Approximately 4 weeks before a class, email your Region contact with the following information:
    • Class title
    • Class length
    • Instructor name(s) and email address(es)
    • Class date
    • Class location (online or city and state)
    • Class sponsor (e.g., library association or library system)
    • Class registration URL (if applicable)
    • If you have changed the slides, please include a link to your slides. 
  2. Your Region will review the slides to ensure that class objectives are met and schedule the class with MLA.
    • NNLM will not schedule classes for CE that charge a registration fee.
  3. Your Region will set up an online class evaluation (Guest Speaker) for you to distribute to attendees. 
  4. Teach the class and collect participant information.
  5. Within 30 days of the class, complete a Training Report.
  6. Your Region will send completed evaluations to you. 

Recommendations

  1. Review relevant current training from NLM or NNLM on the resources you are teaching.
    1. For teaching MedlinePlus, review MedlinePlus Tutorial for Librarians and Health Educators.
    2. For teaching PubMed, review How PubMed Works (On-Demand).
  2. Please direct any unanswered questions about NLM resources or incorrect links to nto@utah.edu.
  3. Combine with Obtain Your CHIS slides.

Contact

If you have any questions, contact the NNLM Training Office at nto@utah.edu.

MLA DSS logoLearn about the Data Services Specialization (DSS), a program that recognizes your skills in providing data services to researchers, clinicians, students, librarians, and others who work with data.

About DSS

What is DSS?

DSS stands for for Data Services Specialization, a program provided by the Medical Library Association (MLA). DSS indicates that you have received training in providing data services to researchers, clinicians, students, librarians, and others who work with data--and recognition for the accomplishment of acquiring skills in providing data services.

Why get a DSS?

As scientific research becomes increasingly data-driven, libraries are expanding their data services. Medical librarians and other health information professionals are ideally situated in the research and information-seeking process to provide data services support.

Your DSS shows employers, colleagues and researchers and others who work with data that:

  • You have skills in providing a range of data services
  • You are committed to offering quality data services
  • You are committed to staying current with developments in data management and data services.

A DSS certificate gives you a solid grounding in all areas of the competency and the flexibility to choose additional learning based on your interests.

What Skills Does the DSS Promote?

The competency encompasses five skill areas at two levels of expertise. A data services specialist:

  1. Applies principles of data literacy
    • Basic: Finds, interprets, and manages data according to ethical principles  
    • Advanced: Critically appraises data and data collection methods
  2. Establishes and advances data services
    • ​Basic: Collects and uses knowledge of institutional and research context to initiate institutionally relevant data services
    • Advanced: Evaluates and expands upon existing data services by developing partnerships and becoming integrated into the institutional research environment
  3. Supports research data best practices across the data lifecycle
    • Basic: Provides guidance on generalizable, domain-agnostic research data best practices
    • Advanced: Identifies and implements domain-specific research data best practices
  4. Applies knowledge of research methods, ethics and rigor, and open science practices
    • Basic: Applies a basic understanding of scientific method and ethical and sound research practices to data-related problems, encouraging open science practices when appropriate
    • Advanced: Applies specialized knowledge of one or more scientific disciplines and research methods to advanced, domain-specific data-related problems
  5. Provides training and consultation on data-related topics
    • Basic: Develops and delivers instruction to enhance data literacy and skills
    • Advanced: Provides customized discipline- and context-specific training on advanced data-related topics, including those requiring computational approaches

How to Earn DSS Credits

DSS Level I

To meet the elective courses requirement you must take three elective credits in each of the five skill areas.

Visit the Data Services Specialization webpage on the Medical Library Association's website to view the requirements for Level 1 and Level 2 and to learn more about the benefits of obtaining the DSS. Browse and register for NNLM's DSS courses.

NNLM Sponsorship and Application Fee

DSS Application Fee

The DSS application fee is $99 for MLA members and $132 for nonmembers. The DSS specialization is valid for 3 years, at which point it must be renewed. Courses offered by the Network of the National Library of Medicine are free.

NNLM application fee sponsorships are available to residents of any NNLM region and U.S. citizens living outside the U.S.

NNLM can sponsor your DSS application fee. Once you've completed the necessary coursework, apply for NNLM sponsorship through our DSS Sponsorship Application.

Contact

If you have any questions about the process, contact the NNLM Training Office at nto@utah.edu. 

NNLM offers education and professional development opportunities for nurses. Each class has been approved for Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) by the Medical Library Association (MLA). MLA is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the State of Illinois CNE department.

About CNE

State of Illinois Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) offers nurses (e.g., advanced practiced nurses, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses) an opportunity to stay current on industry practices and enhance their professional skills. To see if your state licensing board accepts the State of Illinois Continuing Nursing Education, please refer to MLA's state list.

How to Earn CNE Credit

NNLM offers CNE for select classes that align with one or more of the five areas that meet the State of Illinois criteria for CE. To see if your state licensing board accepts these course offerings for credit, please review MLA's state list. 

NNLM is the CNE Presenter for the CNE-approved classes.

Illinois CNE Sponsor:
Medical Library Association
225 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 650
Chicago, IL 60606
License No. 236.000169

Contact

For more information on CNE learning opportunities through NNLM, contact the NNLM Training Office at nto@utah.edu.  

For questions about the CNE credit, contact the MLA Professional Development department. 

last updated: 10/01/26 12:30