Health Happens in Libraries

Health Happens in Libraries was a program designed to elevate the role of public libraries as vital contributors to community health. The initiative supported library staff with resources to address patron requests for health information and tools to build intentional partnerships with local health experts. By doing so, it enhanced libraries’ capacity to advance health and wellness priorities in their communities.

This program was run in partnership with ZeroDivide and was funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

While the grant-funded program concluded in June 2016, this project page offers a small selection of resources and materials we developed, which you can find below. Although some of this content may be dated, it may still provide inspiration for libraries looking to engage in health-related programming and partnerships.

Example resources

Library Heroes Make Health Happen (Infographic) A graphic created in 2015, available in many formats, that presents simple, compelling messages and data to emphasize the role public libraries play in building healthy communities.
Community Health Program Worksheet: A worksheet that includes brainstorming questions about potential community health programs and partners, and that connect to the long-term vision of your library. The last page features suggested follow-up questions for patrons who attend programming.
Communications Guide (PDF) A guide with key messages and strategies for library staff to target communications to multiple stakeholder about the important role of libraries in supporting community health.