Health Information and Literacy
Queens Library is saving lives. We are:
- Helping to decrease health disparities in Queens.
- Increasing access to cancer screening and care among medically underserved communities.
- Strengthening our role as the heart of the community by facilitating access to public health information to all in the community.
- Providing tools for Queens' residents to develop their capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.
The three major components of the Library's Health Information and Health Literacy are the following:
- Consumer Health Resources Center -- located at Central Library’s Business, Science & Technology Division, at 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica -- has a handy reference collection of some 1,200 print materials on consumer health and access to online databases. Visit the Center to learn about prescription drugs; symptoms of diseases; doctors' hospital affiliations; vitamins or herbal products; laboratory tests; finding a medical specialist; complete a school/college assignment; and more.
- Ask a Medical Librarian information about medical and consumer health related issues. Either factual answers or in-depth research can be performed for a customer. Many questions can be answered within a day of receipt; however more complicated questions may take up to four (4) business days.
- The Queens Library HealthLink is a collaborative initiative of Queens Library, the American Cancer Society, the Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. It is a five-year federally funded research project based in Queens Library that will explore the potential to partner with libraries as a vehicle for community health outreach to fight cancer.
- Health Literacy teaches adults who speak limited English about health topics.
Help and materials in languages other than English will be available at a later time.