The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) Public Health Library purchased 650 tote bags for community health fairs, HIV/AIDS lectures, and first time visitors. The tote bags will be handed out as incentives for these three different occasions. The library reaches out to underserved communities throughout the five boroughs of New York City, including community based organizations at health fairs and HIV/AIDS lecture series, formerly known as workshops. The communities and DOHMH staff are invited to the HIV/AIDS lectures held at the library. The library’s participation in community health fairs builds relationships with community based organizations. The library’s main mission is to improve the public health knowledge and foster health information literacy among the diverse communities visited.

The shipment arrived on the December 23, 2008 and the tote bags will debut at the library’s next HIV/AIDS lecture in February followed by health fairs throughout the city.

In order to attract more people to the NYC DOHMH Public Health Library incentives are necessary, especially items with the library’s logo to remind people where to access health information. The tote bags (12″ x 14″) are black with bold faced white letters. They are ideal for carrying brochures and reports.

The NYC DOHMH Public Health Library is expecting an increase of patrons to the library and to its venues with the help of the tote bags.

Erika Pozo- NYC Dept. Of Health & Mental Hygiene Public Health Library, NYC. NY

Over 250 information professionals attended the Delaware Library Association’s Annual Meeting in Dover, Delaware on May 9, 2008.  Delaware Health Source’s three consumer health librarians exhibited promotional items (featuring new logo and tagline) at a designated table.  These items were: jumbo tote bags (distributed exclusively at this event), pens, bookmarks, and table banner.  Consumer health librarians interacted with librarians and library staff members from libraries statewide, emphasizing distribution of new bookmarks within their host libraries.  Meeting attendees who visited our exhibit table also received brochures about the consumer health libraries, reminding them of the information services we offer statewide.  On a related note, the Delaware Academy of Medicine was honored during the day’s conference as an outstanding library in the state of Delaware.  Also, the Academy’s electronic resources librarian presented a 10 minute overview of DelMIRA (www.delmira.org) e-resources at the DLA Business Meeting.

 Grier,P.J- Delaware Academy of Medicine, Newark, DE.