With Britton’s membership, all librarians at the USA Biomedical Library are now AHIP members.
Distinguished members are Judy Burnham, Jie Li and Geneva Staggs; senior members are Clista Clanton and Justin Robertson; and provisional members are Britton, Trey Lemley and Andrea Wright.
According to Britton, AHIP membership gives medical librarians a framework for continuing education and professional development. “This is accomplished through mentoring by established AHIP members and through the encouragement of participation in scholarly activities in the field,” Britton said. “In addition, AHIP certification demonstrates a commitment to growth in the profession."
AHIP is the Medical Library Association’s peer-reviewed professional development and career recognition credentialing program. The academy promotes lifelong learning and exemplary professional performance by recognizing achievements in continuing education, teaching, publishing and research.
Provisional membership is the entry level status for librarians with less than five years experience in the medical librarianship field.
The AHIP credential denotes the highest standards of professional competency and achievement in the field of health care information and must be renewed every five years. Someone who has the AHIP designation must participate in continuing education courses and other professional development activities to maintain the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully support the institution’s mission and goals.