1. How can libraries help?

2. Help?
• Health literate – specifically public libraries
• Bridge the gap between the knowing, learning
and being positively aware.
• Satisfy additional information needs

3. The health literacy process
Outcome
Consumer / Patient Librarians
Access Health
Communicate awareness
Understand Capacity to
Appraise take decisions

4. What we can do ?

5. Why not internet, why libraries and
librarians?
• There is lots of internet these days, !
• Why Libraries ?
– Information Professionals - More informed about
varied resources
– There are many other resources which are perhaps
better than internet based information
– Are literate about resources,
– Have skills to analyze and evaluate resource
– Can filter through heaps of information that is apt for
the person

6. How librarians can help
• Writing for patients
• Providing booklets
• Helping patients access high quality health
information
• Internet –
– improved awareness of latest information
– access to evidence based consumer health
information
– amid increasing concern - varying quality of health
information accessed by patients

7. What is required ?
• Partnerships - different health information
specialists, health care providers, and
consumers.
• effective communication strategies for
disseminating relevant health information to
audiences with differing levels of health
literacy

8. Public library system

9. Why public libraries
• Understand health literacy - within the Region
• Communicate relevant information to
people / consumers with differing levels of
health literacy - literacy level, type users -
age, gender, etc.

10. The role in nut shell
• To provide access to a range of authoritative
materials
• Librarians' activities are oriented towards the
social and community goals of producing a
healthy society
• assisting the individual to make more
informed health decisions.
• Advocacy role