摘要：A partnership to improve access to health information via an urban public library system was established in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2011. A multiyear project was outlined that included an information needs assessment, a training class for public library staff, information kiosks at library branches for delivering printed consumer health materials, and a series of health-related programming. The partnership evolved to include social service and community organizations to carry out project goals and establish a sustainable program that met the health and wellness interests of the community. Keywords: Access to Information, Community-Institutional Relations, Consumer Health Information, Public Libraries, Medical Libraries Access to health information and low health literacy are often cited as contributing factors to poorer use of health care and greater disparities in health outcomes among persons of all ages [ 1 ]. Public libraries are often the primary source for information and Internet access in underserved communities, and can serve as an important bridge to credible health information. But a lack of resources, expertise, and support can present significant obstacles to fulfilling that role [ 2 , 3 ]. To help improve our community's access to credible health information, the authors formed an academic–public library partnership in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, in 2011. Our original partners included the St. Louis Public Library (SLPL), Bernard Becker Medical Library at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and the Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD), a National Cancer Institute–funded program of the Siteman Cancer Center, also at Washington University School of Medicine. We outlined a project that included four components to be carried out in sequence: (1) assess the health information interests of the community through an online survey of SLPL staff, (2) develop a hands-on training session for SLPL staff on health information resources, (3) deploy health information kiosks at strategic public library locations, and (4) develop a series of health-related programs to be hosted at SLPL. Each partner brought a unique and critical element to meet the goals of the project: ▪ The St. Louis Public Library system included its Central Library and a network of sixteen neighborhood branch libraries across the city. SLPL provided the connection to the underserved populations that PECaD was trying to reach. ▪ Becker Library and PECaD staff provided training and support to enhance SLPL librarians' ability to provide credible and reliable health information. ▪ PECaD provided funding to support Becker Library staff in its work with SLPL to develop a needs assessment and librarian training class. PECaD also provided staff to evaluate the program and funding in the form of mini-grants to help SLPL acquire materials and support the expansion of consumer health information services. Work began in the spring of 2011 as each component of the project was addressed in succession. 1 Assess the health information interests of the community: An electronic survey of SLPL staff was conducted across all locations to gather information about the types of health questions received and to gauge staff interest in attending training on credible health information resources. The survey featured 14 questions and had a 95% response rate (60 out of 63 completed and useable surveys). Results indicated that over 86% of the SLPL staff believed their patrons would benefit from greater exposure to consumer health information, and an overwhelming number of staff was interested in learning more about current health information resources. 2 Develop a hands-on training session: In July 2012, two training sessions were provided for SLPL staff. The 3-hour training sessions focused on: ▪ credible, free resources for health information such as MedlinePlus ▪ free resources for cancer information from the National Cancer Institute ▪ subscription products already available via the public library Twenty-three SLPL staff attended the sessions, and reviews were generally positive. Participant knowledge of accurate, up-to-date cancer and health information resources rose from 43% to 60% from the pre-survey to the post-survey. For the next training session conducted the following year, staff from Becker Library, PECaD, and SLPL designed a more hands-on experience, with participants working through sample health information questions in various online resources, comparing and contrasting the results, and sharing observations with the class. The information presented and the structure of the session received positive evaluations from all 15 participants. 3 Deploy information kiosks: In August 2012, kiosks named “Your Good Health Spot” were placed at each of the four largest SLPL branches. These branches are geographically distributed across the city and serve as regional information hubs for the community. The kiosks were stocked with pamphlets and brochures on a wide variety of health topics. The content was chosen by a collaborative ranking process among staff from the libraries and PECaD, along with results gathered from the initial needs assessment survey. In general, the materials chosen were free, were from federal or state agencies, or only required the cost of shipping. 4 Develop a series of health-related programs: Initially, decisions on topics for the speaker series were determined by data gathered from the needs assessment, feedback from staff training sessions, and data from the borrowing of printed materials at SLPL. We identified seven potential topic areas: prenatal care, oral health, eye health, complementary and alternative medicine, mental health, bullying, and cancer. Faculty from another local institution, the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, and a local expert in alternative medicine joined the group (now called the SLPL Consumer Health Information Speaker Series Committee) to broaden the scope of information presented on each topic and to enhance the network of local contacts for identifying speakers. We eventually agreed to focus on five topics for the initial series, which was to begin in the fall of 2013: the Affordable Care Act (ACA), cancer risks and prevention, cardio health, diabetes management and prevention, and oral and ocular health. We decided to include an ACA-related event to coincide with the public's growing interest and the legislation's impending implementation. With the exception of this presentation, each event would include, when possible, a physician, a pharmacist, a dietician, and an herbalist to provide different perspectives on a topic.
