Historically, conversations regarding how public libraries and library staff address adult health issues center on informational exchanges at the reference desk. Librarian of Congress Carla D. Hayden noted, “The number one information request to public libraries in this country is for health information… We’re that trusted source” (Hayden & Galvin, p. 28). In addition to supporting individuals’ health through reference transactions, public library staff also increasingly support community health through programs that bring people together. In a recent review of the literature on public libraries’ capacity for supporting social connection and inclusion, Dalmer et al. (2022) identified that during the pandemic there was a noticeable increase in literature on how libraries support “people in need of social supports for their mental health and wellness” (p. 29) with programs and services that bring patrons together to support each other.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD) are prevalent and growing problems that affect all segments of the population. The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that “48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3 percent of the population) had an SUD in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder and 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder” (p. 33). 29.5 million people ages 12 and older had AUD in the past year, including 17.4 million males (12.6% of this age group), 12.2 million females (8.5%), 154,000 American Indian or Alaska Native people (10.5%), 958,000 Asian people (5.6%), 3.6 million Black or African American people (10.5%), 18.6 million White people (10.9%), 5.5 million Hispanic or Latino people (14.7%), and 609,000 people of two or more races (14.7%) (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2023). What is particularly alarming is that only 2.2 million people with AUD (7.6% of Americans with AUD) received any treatment in the past year, including 8.2% of males, and 6.5% of females. The lowest percentage of people who received treatment was people of two or more races, at 3.2% (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2023).

Bossaller, Long, and Vardell’s Public Library Quarterly article entitled “Connections are the opposite of addiction: Recovery reading groups in public libraries” explored opportunities for public libraries to provide a source of social support and connection for individuals seeking to change their relationships with addictive substances. Programming at a library lacks the stigma and historically patriarchal and religious affiliations that might turn some people away from 12-step recovery groups. Library programming does not need to take the place of traditional recovery groups but can instead serve as an added informational and social support. Libraries can develop traditional or therapeutic book groups, alcohol-free (AF) social supportive programming, Quit Lit and self-help collection development, learning circles, information sessions, and more. Familiarity with bibliotherapy and recovery support for mild to moderate substance abuse disorders can help librarians meaningfully situate the public library in the lives of patrons who want to explore personal growth in this area. Such AF programming is one more way libraries can meet the health and wellness needs of people in their community.

The Libraries Advancing Community Learning to Reduce Substance Use (LACL) is a two-year, Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant to explore continued opportunities for libraries to support AUD and SUD recovery in their communities. The University of Missouri, in partnership with Emporia State University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Kansas City Public Library, will host a two-day National Forum that will bring together subject experts and library staff participants to focus on understanding, augmenting, and expanding libraries’ roles in AUD and SUD recovery and prevention through reading, bibliotherapy, and peer-to-peer learning circles. The forum will include invited talks by professionals such as psychologists, therapists, addiction counselors, social workers, bibliotherapists, and library experts. The forum will be organized around sharing knowledge and developing resources related to five topical areas: (1) facilitating social connections in public libraries; (2) public library roles in AUD and/or SUD recovery through partnerships with social workers and other experts in the field; (3) therapeutic uses of literature, including reading groups and collection development to support bibliotherapy; (4) support for library staff suffering from AUD and/or SUD and secondary trauma; and (5) marketing and outreach to reach people who will benefit from these efforts.

The outcome of the forum will be an online resource containing a white paper and toolkit to guide programming in public libraries that addresses AUD, SUD, and recovery through social support and reading groups. The target audience for the project is public library staff. The forum will also be available online for any library workers who register for it, and the toolkit will be openly available within a year of the forum. There are two groups of beneficiaries: (1) people who are experiencing AUD or SUD and the library staff who serve them, and (2) library staff who use the toolkit and those experiencing AUD and/or SUD themselves, as the forum will address the topic of caring for staff and promoting staff wellness.

Health sciences librarians are well poised to partner with public libraries in addressing the health information needs of their communities. We invite distribution of information about this call for participants and input on our developing toolkit as we seek to support librarians working in this important area.

References

Dalmer, N. K., McKenzie, P., Rothbauer, P., Martin-Yeboah, E., & Oswald, K. (2022). Palaces for the people: Mapping public libraries' capacity for social connection and inclusion (Report No. 375). FIMS Publications. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/fimspub/375

Hayden, C., & Galvin, M. (2024). “Libraries are that safe place for discussion of ideas.” Issues in Science and Technology, 40(2), 27–29. https://doi.org/10.58875/CANH5294

National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2023). Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the United States: Age groups and demographic characteristics. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-topics/alcohol-facts-and-statistics/alcohol-use-disorder-aud-united-states-age-groups-and-demographic-characteristics

National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2024). Alcohol treatment in the United States. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-topics/alcohol-facts-and-statistics/alcohol-treatment-united-states

About the Authors

Emily Vardell, MLS, PhD, AHIP, is an Associate Professor at the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University.

Jenny Bossaller, MA, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the School of Information Science and Learning Technologies at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Bobbie Long, MLIS, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University.

DCT Featured Article – September 10, 2024