Abstract
Individuals with low health literacy experience negative health outcomes such as longer or absent recoveries, diminished quality of life, frequent and longer hospitalizations, and morbidity. The role of librarians is changing and librarians are playing a proactive role in fostering community health by providing health information resources, offering training opportunities, and partnering with local health organizations and health care providers to develop programs. This article discusses how an academic health sciences librarian and a public librarian combined their expertise and resources to create a successful partnership that continues today. The librarians were also invited to participate in a community health improvement plan (CHIP) of two major hospitals in New Jersey. The CHIP culminated in a symposium that brought together public and academic health sciences librarians and other constituents from the community who are interested in building a Culture of Health in New Jersey.