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Provision of consumer health information in Alberta's Rural Public Libraries
Author(s) -
Danhoundo Georges,
WhistanceSmith Doug,
Lemoine Daniel,
Konkin Jill
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
health information and libraries journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.779
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1471-1842
pISSN - 1471-1834
DOI - 10.1111/hir.12248
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , incentive , the internet , information literacy , rural health , public relations , rural area , business , medical education , library science , medicine , political science , sociology , qualitative research , world wide web , social science , pathology , computer science , economics , microeconomics
Background Access to health services is a major challenge in many rural communities within Canada. Rural public libraries can serve as centres for health resources. Objective The aim of this exploratory study was to analyse the manner in which Alberta's rural libraries provide health information to their patrons. Methods A questionnaire including closed ended and open ended questions was sent to the 285 rural libraries across the Canadian province of Alberta. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis techniques were used for the data analysis. Results The findings indicate that in three quarters of Alberta's rural libraries, about 10% of requests for assistance were related to health issues. The provision of health information in these libraries is hampered by the lack of Internet, private space for reference interviews, and staff and volunteer training. Library staff members were inexperienced in conducting reference transactions and reported lacking confidence in meeting patrons’ needs and ethical standards. Discussion Addressing these challenges will require the recruitment of more qualified librarians in rural library systems, possibly through incentive measures, and a comprehensive education and training programme for both staff and volunteers combined with the necessary resource support for the rural libraries. Conclusion When human and material resources are adequate, rural libraries can contribute to improving the health literacy of their communities.