Leaning In At The Library

Amanda Olsen

aolsen@antonmediagroup.com

May is Mental Health Awareness month. The movement to break down stigma and help people address their mental well-being has been steadily gaining attention in the last 25 years, but has truly taken off in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Between 2019 and 2021 the percentage of adults who had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months increased, from 19.2 percent to 21.6 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Seeing prominent politicians and entertainers discuss their struggles publicly has made it easier for people to bring up their own, first among their immediate circle, but then to the greater community. One of the places individuals are seeking help is at the library.

A study published in January reported that on Long Island mental health was one of the top needs identified by library personnel. The study was conducted by Stony Brook University and Adelphi University, with support from the Long Island Health Collaborative, the Suffolk Cooperative Library System and the Nassau Library System.

In-person interviews were conducted at 32 public libraries between December 2017 and January 2020. Researchers wanted to know how library personnel in a socioeconomically diverse suburban setting address the needs of patrons and how to promote more effective public library-public health partnerships.

The research confirmed the increasing public health role public libraries play in their communities. In lower-resourced communities, study participants noted that patrons routinely seek more basic social service needs. In higher-resourced communities, participants found patrons sought more enrichment-like services.

Maggie Gough, Director of Manhasset public library, stated that local library patrons are no exception. “Our Library patrons seek trusted information sources and social service programming. Patrons visit MPL for a variety of needs, including finding health information, especially during the height of the COVID pandemic, and obtaining assistance to access resources available in and out of the library that promote health, wellness and social connectedness.”

People are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness, to the point that the surgeon general’s office is calling for social isolation to be treated as seriously as obesity or drug abuse. Loneliness is reported to increase the risk of premature death by almost 30% - through health conditions including diabetes, heart attacks, insomnia and dementia. Lack of social connection is also linked to lower academic achievement and worse performance at work, according to the Surgeon General’s new advisory.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that loneliness is a “profound public health challenge” that “we should talk about” and address.

“It... may surprise people to learn that the increased risk of premature death that’s associated with (a lack of) social connection is on par with the risks that we see from smoking daily, and greater than the risk we see associated with obesity,” he said in an interview with the BBC.

Already aware of this, Gough said the library is working hard to meet this crucial need. “In the wake of the COVID pandemic, loneliness and social isolation has never been more pronounced. Our library offers many activities during the day and evening designed for children and adults to get to know each other, such as craft workshops, movie and book discussions, interactive concerts, early literacy support, bilingual story times and more. Coming this June, we will host the All Together Now themed Summer Reading Program, which includes reading challenges and fun activities for children, teens and adults. In addition, for the summer on 2023, NLS has brought back the very popular Nassau Library Tour. Patrons will be invited to travel to as many Nassau County libraries as they can collecting prizes and exploring local communities.”

The researchers recommend more evidence-based training workshops to help library personnel address patrons’ see LIBRARY on page 6