New Partnerships Enhance Access to Health Information
The St. Louis Public Library is proud to announce its partnership with Washington University’s Bernard Becker Medical Library and Siteman Cancer Center. The partnership’s goal is to reach consumers who are seeking assistance in researching health information.
Jan Daley, Baden Branch manager and the St. Louis Public Library’s partner liaison, said, “Without our partners we wouldn’t be able to fulfill the American Library Association’s directive that libraries nationwide be Obamacare information centers. Technology gives consumers access to health information and the ability to be pro-active about their healthcare. But without expert guidance they run the risk of using dated, unreliable, or false information. The partnership’s objective is to empower consumers by helping them find trustworthy, up-to-date personal health information.”
Paul Schoening, associate dean and director of the Bernard Becker Medical Library (BML), said that the “Bernard Becker Medical Library has partnered with the Siteman Cancer Center’s federally-funded Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD) to enhance the delivery of consumer health reference and education services for both Library staff and community members. BML staff will also serve as liaisons between the Washington University School of Medicine Institute for the Clinical and Translational Sciences program Our Community, Our Health and the community outreach program of the BML and the Library.”
Library staff has been undergoing consumer health reference training and fielding more questions than ever. The partners have created a system to assist consumers who require more in-depth information than the Library’s databases and staff can provide.
The Library has positioned consumer reference kiosks (The Good Health Spot) in Central Library as well as at the Buder, Carpenter, Julia Davis, and Schlafly branches. Each kiosk holds timely, accurate, and free take-away information about some of the best known diseases, such as prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and more.
Many branch libraries already offer health-related programming such as free monthly blood pressure and blood glucose testing. Says Daley, “As always, the Library strives to provide quality services to the community. Partnering with the Becker Medical Library and Siteman Cancer Center allows us to expand and continue to deliver excellent customer service.”
Originally published in St. Louis Public Library's Check It Out! newsletter in September 2013. Read the whole issue here.
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