Consumer health information services at Iowa City Public Library

Library Trends, Wntr, 2005 by Candice Smith, Kara Logsden, Maeve Clark

During National Mental Health Month, the library sponsored three programs that were presented by the local Community Mental Health Center (CMHC). These programs were all videotaped and replay periodically on The Library Channel. The first of these was "Becoming a Parent--Maintaining a Mentally Healthy Pregnancy & Recognizing Signs of Postpartum Depression." The speakers were Richard Michaelson, M.D., CMHC Psychiatrist; Charles F. Hesse, M.D., CMHC Board Member, the Nest Board President, and retired OB/GYN physician; and Mary Hanna, Ph.D., CMHC staff. They discussed topics such as physical changes during pregnancy, the use of medications while pregnant, diagnosing different levels of depression in pregnant women, health-related resources, and options for pregnant women.

The second program was entitled "Parenting a Teen--Helping Kids Cope & Realizing When Outside Help Is Needed." A three-member panel led the discussion and was made up of representatives from the Community Mental Health Center, the counseling department of a local high school, and a local youth group. The final program was "Adult Children & Aging Parents--What to Do and Where to Go." There were four speakers who presented: Kit Dinneen Crane and Ginny Hamilton-Lawler, both of the Community Mental Health Center; Steve Siglin of Elder Services; and Jeff Kellbach from Pathways Adult Day Health Care. The presentation focused on topics related to the care of aging parents, including their physical, mental, and emotional needs, and options and resources for them and their caregivers.

The library also hosted the program "Advertising & Girls: From Awareness to Action Workshop." The goal of the program was to educate parents and students about the effects of advertisements on consumerism and body image. The speaker was Mare Sullivan, actress and activist from Los Angeles, and talks centered on the effects of different forms of advertising on young women. The event was co-sponsored by the Iowa Women's Foundation, the Women's Resource and Action Center, the Emma Goldman Clinic, the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, WISE, the Rape Victim Advocacy Program, and United Action for Youth. This program was very well attended, both by young women between the ages of eleven and fourteen and their parents.

Overall we were very pleased with the programs presented. The project served as a catalyst to bring community groups together to focus on health issues faced by persons of all ages. An added bonus is the periodic replay of the programs on The Library Channel. Most of the information shared in the programs is not time sensitive, so we continue to rotate the programs into The Library Channel's play schedule.

Promoting the Project to the Community

Giveaways were created as a way to share project information with the community. The primary giveaway was a bandage holder. The bandage holders were neon colors and had messages printed on both sides. The front side said "Good Health Information is just a click away!," and the back side had the Iowa City Public Library logo along with URLs for the library, Health Info Iowa, and MedlinePlus. Because our primary promotion activities were in the summer, we also ordered cardboard fans with the message, "I'm a FAN of good health information!" along with the library's logo and three URLs.