We're Connecting The Dots For Health Education

For the past few months, we've been displaying health education information through the use of posters, wall displays, and bookmarks. If you've visited our library, you've probably noticed some of them.
We highlighted heart problems, obesity, and not smoking in February. March was nutrition. We skipped April, but displayed information about strokes in May. For June, we had literature about high blood pressure, and in July it was about heat stroke.
Our participation in health education comes from "connecting the dots" with the Partnership for Health & Accountability of the Georgia Hospital Association and local libraries in communities throughout Georgia. By working together, we hope to ensure a healthier population for all Georgians.
This month, we're highlighting three areas of health awareness for the public.
In our main entrance foyer, we have a poster about National Immunization Awareness Month. Most parents are very diligent about getting "well baby" checkups and guaranteeing that their baby gets all the shots that are needed. However, many people fail to realize that older children and adults also need to have specific immunizations. You can ask your family physician to give you a list of immunizations needed.
Near the library restrooms, we have a wall display for handwashing. Handwashing is the number one thing that anyone can do to prevent the spread of disease. Unfortunately, statistics show that very few people actually wash their hands properly or as frequently as they need to do. I was always told to lather up my hands and, while washing, sing the "Happy Birthday" song before rinsing. That takes a while if you don't rush through the song.
And the last health education item is a bookmark about drug awareness. The bookmarks are available at the circulation counter for the public. According to the U.S. Government, about 8.3% of the population of this country use illegal drugs, with marijuana being the most common illegal drug in use today. The bookmark provides the signs of drug abuse in children.
Each month we hope to provide our patrons with useful health information. It's our way of "connecting the dots" with our friends, neighbors, and community.