This article originally ran in the Southern Chapter of the Medical Library Association’s newsletter Southern Expressions, 2021;37(4):4–8.
October is National Medical Librarians Month, a time to both celebrate and raise awareness of the important role of the health information professional! A section of the SC/MLA Newsletter, Southern Expressions, showcased ideas from across the chapter for how libraries are promoting library services and programing.
USF School of Information Responsive Librarianship Lab Promotes Mental Health Literacy in Public Libraries
Submitted by Denise Shereff, AHIP, University of South Florida
The School of Information’s Responsive Librarianship Lab (RLL) received a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for the 2020–2021 academic year to fund a collaboration with the Temple Terrace Public Library (TTPL), the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC), and the Pasco County Library Cooperative (PCLC) to address individual mental health and family wellness concerns through the delivery of personalized reader's advisory services, therapeutic reading materials, mental health literacy skills development, and family wellness instruction. Services are provided remotely in both synchronous and asynchronous formats, ensuring that those unable to visit the library will still be able to benefit from programs.
Previous programs designed by the RLL have included the establishment of two bibliotherapy-focused library collections for the adult women residents at the Drug Abuse Comprehensive Coordinating Office, Inc. (DACCO) facility in Tampa, FL, and pediatric residents at the Morton Plant North Bay Hospital Recovery Center. Building on success at both of these locations, the RLL has expanded its current model of Responsive Librarianship into public libraries. Services provided through the grant further the mission and goals of the LSTA and Florida's objective of providing accessible and inclusive library services for individuals from diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds and with a range of functional literacy or information skills.
Programming is customized for the specific user populations of each partnering library in the following ways:
- Services at TTPL focus on adolescent mental health wellness and are integrated with counseling and resource management services provided through a partnership with the University of South Florida's School of Social Work. Programming includes group reading discussions using graphic novels selected to facilitate discussions of themes identified by partner librarians.
- The South Holiday Library branch of the PCLC focuses on addressing the concerns of women facing economic insecurity and mental health concerns. As with TTPL, counseling and resource management services are provided through a partnership with the University of South Florida's School of Social Work and Pasco County Human Services. Instructional sessions are provided by the RLL team, as well as community organizations with specific expertise on topics such as financial literacy, stress management, and nutrition.
- HCPLC services use a hybrid model focusing on family wellness. Instructional programs are facilitated by community partners such as Cuddle Up and Read Every Day (CURED), a nonprofit organization that brings underserved families together to read.
The funds awarded by the LSTA grant enable the RLL to reach a large population of library users, specifically those populations that are at-risk and the most vulnerable in the Tampa Bay community.
Have a story to share about outreach in your library this month? Email it to christine.willis@choa.org