Health and Human Services Library

About the Library

In September 2002, the Ministries of Health Planning & Health Services Library and the Ministry of Children and Family Development Library merged to form the new Health and Human Services Library, serving MoHS and MCFD staff and regional library clients. By combining staff expertise and collection resources, we are able to offer comprehensive, efficient and cost effective library services to all three ministries and related client groups.

Library Mission Statement

  • The Health and Human Services Library’s mission is to:
  • provide timely access to quality information by competent professional staff
  • maintain and develop robust electronic resources supported by cutting edge technologies
  • be stewards of a unique and specialized collection
  • provide customized and responsive services to support the research and information needs of all clients
  • offer instruction and training to clients in research methods.

Library Vision

  • As an integral part of the Ministries it serves, the Health and Human Services Library will provide expert, personalized and responsive service by maximizing access to information to support policy development and decision making.

Who is Eligible for Library Services?

Full services are available to:

  • Ministry of Health Services staff;
  • Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport staff;
  • Ministry of Children and Family Development staff;
  • health units and mental health centres operating outside of the Capital Health Region and metropolitan Vancouver areas;
  • B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

Limited on-site library services are available to:

  • other B.C. government staff;
  • health sciences and social work students;
  • members of the public.


Collection Strengths

Health Sciences: Health planning/health administration, health economics, resource allocation, public health and disease prevention, epidemiology, nutrition, mental health, environmental health, evidence-based medicine, clinical practice guidelines, and health services standards.

Social Sciences: Child welfare, child abuse and neglect, child protection, aboriginal child welfare, child and youth mental health/developmental disabilities, early childhood development, adoption, foster care, family violence and family support, work and family issues, social work, community living, community development, counselling and psychology, economics, leadership, and training.

Interlibrary Loans and Document Delivery
We participate in interlibrary loan sharing with libraries across North America.

DOCLINE ID: BCCTRY

Ministry of Health Services, Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, and Ministry of Children and Family Development staff and other eligible B.C. public health and child welfare clients: Please contact the Library to learn how to access subscription-based databases like Social Work Abstracts Plus and CINAHL, along with other Health and Human Services Library services on the Web.