A Lunch Line, Dental Floss, and MedlinePlus
Anna Ercoli Schnitzer
InfoPoint Librarian
Health Sciences Libraries
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Women’s Health and Fitness Day Event 2009
Sponsored by the University of Michigan (UM) Medical School, various University of Michigan Health System units, and even a few grocery stores, the 2009 Annual Women’s Health and Fitness Day Event took place at Ypsilanti High School in Michigan on Saturday, January 24th. The event had been organized and was facilitated by the UM Women Medical Students.
After registering and attending three workshops around noon, about 200 participants lined up to help themselves to a cafeteria-style luncheon. Right at the beginning of the line, the UM Health Sciences Libraries had a table set up with various handouts, signs, brochures, MedlinePlus pens–all in the interest of providing reliable health information and promoting MedlinePlus and other resources that the National Library of Medicine provides.
At the next table, three UM Dental School students were giving out dental floss, toothbrushes, as well as appropriate tooth-brushing information. After obtaining information from the Dental School table and the MedlinePlus table, the individuals in the line were ready to help themselves to lunch at the next stop. The food line dispersed and so did our outreach materials; we had no MedlinePlus pens and very few brochures left on our table. Participants in the Women’s Health and Fitness day were very happy to receive what we consider to be our very best source of consumer health information. Because of the excellent set-up and the gracious cooperation of our hosts, this particular outreach effort turned out to be both effective and efficient.
