Health Information Programs for Immigrants

rooklyn Public Library (BPL) will develop and implement a 12-month project of expert-led health information programs targeted to Brooklyn’s immigrant populations with a special focus on addressing the needs of library patrons for whom English is not their primary language. Health Information programs will address known social determinants of health specific to Brooklyn; the programs will address the topic areas of: Mental Health, Maternal Health, Health Insurance and Access to Care Navigation, Nutrition, and Positive Aging. The 50 planned programs will increase 750 patrons’ use of reliable health information and resources and encourage them to embrace wellness, make healthy choices, and manage illnesses and chronic conditions effectively. 25% of the programs will be targeted to Brooklyn’s Latinx, Haitian and Asian communities and conducted in Spanish, Haitian Kreyol or Chinese. BPL will partner with organizations in the community that have specific clinical and public health expertise and who have the capacity to present programs in our priority languages. Programs will be presented virtually via Zoom and other accessible platforms, or, if conditions allow, in-person at one or more of BPL’s 61 neighborhood locations. Additionally, BPL will develop an ESOL lesson that teaches health information vocabulary and resources and introduces MedLine Plus to 330 English language learners. A professional development workshop, offered twice, will build the capacity of librarians and public service staff to use, and teach patrons how to use MedlinePlus and other online databases.