Healthy Connections: Health Science and Public Libraries in Small Communities

In small communities there are barriers to access to consumer health information that have nothing to do with availability. When library staff are known by users not only as information workers, but also as friends or neighbours, there can be reluctance on the part of users to ask for information on a subject that patrons may well regard as being intensely personal. A man in his 70s who’s just been diagnosed with prostate cancer may be unwilling to ask at the library for information due to concern that news of his illness may be all over town within a few days. A woman with recurrent urinary tract infections may feel uncomfortable talking to others about it, including her local librarian. But patients who are not comfortable with the internet, or who aren’t aware of how to effectively search for information or support, need our help. How do we overcome this barrier of familiarity to get them the assistance they need?