Beyond Books: Public Libraries As Partners For Population Health.
Public libraries are not usually included in discussions about improving population health. They are, however, well positioned to be partners in building a culture of health through programming that addresses the social determinants of health. The Healthy Library Initiative, a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and the Free Library of Philadelphia (the public library system that serves the city), has undertaken such efforts in Philadelphia. In this article we report findings from an assessment of how ten highly subscribed programs address the social determinants of health, as well as results of interviews with community residents and library staff. Of the 5.8 million in-person Free Library visits in 2015, 500,000 included attendance at specialized programs that addressed multiple health determinants, such as housing and literacy. Library staff provided intensive support to vulnerable populations including homeless people, people with mental illness and substance use, recent immigrants, and children and families suffering from trauma. We found that public libraries are trusted institutions that have broad population reach and untapped potential to improve population health.
Anna U. Morgan is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
Anna U
AU
Morgan
Roxanne Dupuis is a research program manager at the Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania.
Roxanne
R
Dupuis
Bernadette D'Alonzo is a research assistant at the Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania.
Bernadette
B
D'Alonzo
Andria Johnson is a lecturer in the Department of History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
Andria
A
Johnson
Amy Graves is a research assistant at the Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania.
Amy
A
Graves
Kiahana L. Brooks is a research assistant at the Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania.
Kiahana L
KL
Brooks
Autumn McClintock is strategy coordinator for the Strategic Initiatives Department at the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Autumn
A
McClintock
Heather Klusaritz is director of community engagement at the Center for Public Health Initiatives and associate director of the Center for Community and Population Health in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Heather
H
Klusaritz
Hillary Bogner is an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Hillary
H
Bogner
Judith A. Long is a core investigator at the Veterans Affairs Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion and the Sol Katz Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Judith A
JA
Long
David Grande is an assistant professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
David
D
Grande
Carolyn C. Cannuscio (cannusci@wharton.upenn.edu) is director of research at the Center for Public Health Initiatives and an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Carolyn C
CC
Cannuscio
D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007990:Libraries / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015143:Philadelphia; D000075485:Population Health; D011634:Public Health; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology
Children’s Health; Determinants Of Health; Disparities; Mental Health/Substance Abuse; Safety-Net Systems