Digital Health Literacy in Franklin County, Maine Community Collaborators Meeting April-2024

Douglas, Sky (undergraduate)

This April 2024 Community Collaborators' Meeting presentation documents a health literacy initiative targeting Franklin County public libraries. A needs assessment survey was administered to all 12 libraries via Qualtrics, receiving 16 responses from 11 libraries through multiple rounds of email and phone outreach. The survey revealed that most libraries operate with only one staff member, lack private spaces for patrons, and serve a wide age range of visitors. Notably, 100% of respondents reported that patrons had asked them about health conditions or concerns, with mental health and substance use disorders being the most common topics, followed by COVID-19, cancer, and heart disease. In response to these findings, two interventions were developed and deployed: a Virtual Community Resources Fair held on February 29, 2024, where seven community organizations presented their services to library staff and patrons, and an Informational Pocket Guide adapted from National Library of Medicine guidance to help patrons evaluate the reliability of online health information. The meeting concluded with an open share-out for collaborators to provide updates on related work.

health equity
capstone
digital literacy
public library
community resources
infrastructure
rural health
Maine
Franklin County