Presenting Author: Bernadette D'Alonzo, University of Pennsylvania

ABSTRACT

Background: Libraries across the US host over 1.5 billion visits annually, exceeding physician office visits by over 50 percent. Libraries often support vulnerable populations seeking health information.

Objectives: In partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia, we sought to identify the most pressing public health issues in Philadelphia neighborhoods and to develop, implement, and evaluate a “Community Health Specialist” training curriculum for library staff.

Methods: Our interdisciplinary team interviewed library staff and residents in South and West Philadelphia in 2014/15. A case-based training curriculum was designed to help staff “recognize” high-risk patrons, “engage” with them, and “refer” them to community services. Training topics--homelessness, mental health, immigration, and trauma--were based on needs assessment findings. Training effectiveness was evaluated via pre/post-surveys (paired t-tests) regarding participants’ self-efficacy for aiding vulnerable populations. Participants were interviewed post-training; interviews were transcribed and analyzed in NVivo 11.0 using an iterative process.

Results: Thirty-five library staff (73% women, 61% African American, 11.7 years experience) completed the training and evaluation. Seven participants completed follow-up interviews. Findings highlight the challenges of serving vulnerable populations in an urban setting, the perceived value of the training program, and suggestions for curriculum refinement. Participants’ self-efficacy improved significantly across all four topics. Participants found the trainings highly useful and were very likely to recommend to colleagues.

Implications: This multi-phase study documents the successful development and implementation of a novel training program for public librarians as community health specialists, suggesting the potential for public libraries as partners for population health.

Authors: Bernadette D'Alonzo; Anna Morgan, MD, MSc; Roxanne Dupuis, MSPH; Eliza Davenport Whiteman, PhD(c); Puja Upadhyay; Amy Graves; Ashali Jain; Alex Reisley; Renee Pokorny; Heather Klusaritz, PhD, MSW; Joel Fein, MD, MPH; and Carolyn Cannuscio, ScM, ScD.