Library workers' personal beliefs about childhood vaccination and vaccination information provision

Abstract

This is a report on the impact of library workers' personal beliefs on provision of vaccination information. Nine public librarians were interviewed about a hypothetical scenario involving a patron who is concerned about possible vaccination-autism connections. The analysis employed thematic coding. Results suggested that while most participants supported childhood vaccination, tension between their personal views and neutrality impacted their ability to conduct the interaction. The neutrality stance, though consonant with professional guidelines, curtails librarians' ability to provide accurate health information. Outreach and communication between public and health sciences libraries can help librarians provide resources to address health controversies.