Talking Health in the 406 � Episode #48 Script
Trina Filan
Thank you for joining us for this episode of talking health in the 406 where we're one community under the Big Sky I'm Trina Finland a public health evaluator for diabetes and cardiovascular health and I'm Margaret Mullins the social determinants of health program manager. Today we're talking with Tracy cook and Bobby de martini 2 folks from the Montana State library about how libraries are epic public health partners. Welcome Bobby and Tracy hello.
Thank you it's great to be here.
Trina Filan
Bobbi can you talk a little bit about what your role is what your title and what do you do.
Bobbi deMontigny
Yeah I'm I'm a lifelong learning librarian for the state of Montana there is only one of me at the Montana State library so it can be a pretty big job because I serve libraries who are serving patrons from the ages of zero until end of life so it's everybody and. It's a bit my the big role that I serve. Or MSL and for all of those libraries is with programming and making those connections community partnerships and being a resource for them when they want to want to run with something so if they. Come to me with a project that they want to do or they're collaborating with Someone Like You guys and they want to hear from you we'll put something together so that we can make that happen.
Trina Filan
Thank you very. Much. How about you Tracy what's your role with your title and? What do you do?
Tracy Cook
I'm the lead consulting and learning librarian at the state library and I oversee our consulting continuing education and lifelong learning programs and I'm also a working consultant and so in that role I will go out and visit libraries around Montana to assist them with library services and I connect them to the programs that Bobby. Offers I also connect them to the work of other libraries and what they're doing around the state which is one of the ways that I have. Come to help them with some of this public health stuff is some of their peers have been working closely with public health nurses and I've been able to share those stories as they as they've mentioned similar issues in their communities.
Margaret Mullins
Think it would be helpful if I give a little background information about our work with libraries and the importance of libraries in our communities. When it comes to health and well-being our chronic disease prevention programs have been partnering with the Montana State library for a couple of years? Now. We started with some introductory conversations and soon discovered a lot of overlap in our interests and abilities. To reach the public. There have been several part projects that have been born out of those discussions libraries we know make excellent public health partners because they're trusted and accessible and deeply embedded in their communities making them ideal for health outreach and support so here's some of the things that we know libraries reach all generations. And the whole family it's a one stop shop of sorts for good information activities and social connection for every group. Libraries also are free to use typically centrally located often have Wi-Fi access and often are willing to provide health related access to patrons like allowing people to use private rooms for telehealth appointments. We know library patrons trust the libraries to give them good information patrons often go to libraries to ask and do research on health related questions libraries can help those patrons find reliable sources of information. So do you think that libraries tend to see themselves as health partners this question is for either or both of you.
Bobbi deMontigny
I think it probably depends on the library UM I know that they see themselves very much so as hubs of information and accurate good information and a trustworthy place people can go to get that information and then some libraries consider themselves to to be more so a hub because. They have provided those special spaces for telehealth and things and others maybe aren't explicitly doing that but still have resources that can be used to that end.
Tracy Cook
That's been my experience as well it really varies by library some libraries I think it started very organically they had a connection with their public health nurse who happened to mention. Hey I have some funding I'd really like to get more information about mental health resources out into the community could we connect with one another and things like that seem to lead to a more structured partnership with public health nurses and others in the medical field.
Trina Filan
Margaret 's job here is to make sure that folks understand how broad. The. Health is right that that impacts to health can happen from many different directions in a person 's life or in a community right and so before we get into some of the specific projects that we've been working on together. I thought it would be cool for you all to talk about how libraries may be inadvertently helpful to people 's health libraries can help reduce social isolation which is. A determinant of health right how connected we are it's an intergenerational place and a library can help contribute to health literacy and that's important because people need to understand the information that they get so they can make good choices so could you please talk a little bit. About how libraries in a really broad sense even if they don't actively engage in a public health project are good for peoples health.
Tracy Cook
It was fortunate enough to go to a session Margaret and Trina that you did about the social determinants. Health and right away I was like oh this is totally what libraries do without even knowing about it. And I would say one of the things I really love about libraries is their ability to bring people together and provide that human connection so I remember when you talked about social isolation and its impact on mental health and physical health which I don't know that everyone realizes I thought oh wow that is proof that libraries just by existing. And bringing people together really help address that particular issue. And you're right they do provide a lot of intergenerational programming in fact that's something Bobby and I have talked about wanting to more actively encourage the other thing I think that they do that I remember when you talked about the social determinants of health was the importance of access to good information and not just that. Would actually good food and things like that and a lot of libraries on their own I think without even? Really considering the health aspect of it have engaged in community gardens and so they are helping people have access to good food and certainly are very interested in having access to good health information and many of them before there was even kind of a emphasis or grants for telehealth those who. Really are in rural areas started to even open the director 's office up and help people get access to telehealth people who maybe would have struggled with it in the past.
Bobbi deMontigny
The seed libraries definitely come to mind when Tracy was talking about community gardens that's another way the teens in Drummond actually did a service program through their library where they were looking for something that they could do through a partnership with humanities Montana and through that program they. That together and looked at the needs of their community they did a little survey and they figured out that folks who don't have transportation are having a hard time getting groceries because it is such a long distance that some of them have to go so. They coordinated a grocery delivery service to kind of create this last mile delivery situation so people could really get access to good food based on this whole outreach program that started in their library.
Trina Filan
Wow that's amazing you really cool so aren't there. Other examples of specific libraries that have done stuff that's that's like that whether it's like a a story walk that incorporates. Physical activity or some sort of intergenerational thing you might want to also explain and then. Tracy that must be your job to kind of tell other libraries like hey Drummond did this here's an here's an idea so can you talk a little bit about that stuff.
Bobbi deMontigny
Similarly through that same program humanities Montana has something called the democracy project where the teams can come and do some civic leadership in their communities where they assess what their communities need and that's what that whole program was that they did in. To but the teens in Helena ran a clothing drive for veterans too so that's another sort of intergenerational thing through that kind of work and I know that there are many story walks going on Tracy being out on the field might be able to point to a specific but if not I will I will see if I can. Put one up for an example.
Tracy Cook
Yeah in terms of story walks which is where the library posts large images usually of children's picture books and you walk to each page and parents and kids can enjoy it together. Weather and the Great Falls Public Library has one set up in Gibson park and they change it out every month the Dillon Public Library did a partnership with multiple community organizations to create one that was almost like an adventure walk so there are another great example and then the Lewistown Public Library is one of the more recent ones. That created a story walk along kind of a walking trail as well. And so they are a great way for parents and caregivers and kids to kind of come together and see what's going on and then the other thing related to that democracy project as I believe that James C shanley tribal library had a very active group and they worked on the playground for their kids which was kind of a wonderful idea for that. Activity and exercise and also giving the kids a safe place to go.
Bobbi deMontigny
I was just pulling up some other story walks it looks like there's one in haver and also.
Trina Filan
For prac. Those are really really good examples of how libraries can do a whole bunch of different things and and may be inspired by other external partners work with other external partners to carry out some school projects Speaking of.
Margaret Mullins
Speaking of cool projects we have done some pretty fun projects with all of you and I just want to talk about some of those so listeners can find some of the resources. For themselves so. Bobby perhaps you can tell us a little bit about the virtual trunks what they are and and how they work.
Bobbi deMontigny
Absolutely I am really excited about these these came about after oh gosh so we had physical trunks for a very long time and the fish wildlife and parks in Montana wild still have those so don't I don't want this to sound like they can't have these resources anymore they're just not coming straight from. The Montana State library anymore because we've downsized we've got a much smaller location. And we just didn't have the storage space to facilitate that anymore but in their place we've created some virtual trunks and among them it started with a bat trunk because that is really popular along with that we've created other things to promote that intergenerational. Program. Types of formatting we've got the Montana history portal Lego challenge where people can get together in their community and get together at the library and build things based on what they've seen on the Montana history portal and that brings in people from all generations because you've got the folks who like the history side of it you've got the. Kids who like building with legos and that comes together to create a whole community event. Other things in there include smoke event safety we worked with your folks there at DPHS to talk about that a little bit we did a a. Program she came and spoke and then we put together a trunk tied into that sort of work and then the one that you're probably most into right now is that health literacy trunk and so in this truck. We have kind of a basic overview what is health literacy and then there's just scads and scads of resources that libraries can use and patrons can use to just look up different things anywhere from like the Alzheimer's Association Medline Plus Indian health service health for teens and middle schoolers. Just everything across the board that we can find in fact I worked with you guys to Fact Check me a little bit make sure I was using really good resources that you recommend so thank you for that. And then and the programming section we have plug and play programming that libraries can use or other organizations too it's not it's an open website anyone can use it but they can grab a programming template for something that they want to do in their library and it tells them everything that they need to do so. The one right on top for example is becoming a caregiver and there's a program description as people live longer younger older adults are caring for their older older adults very often they're still taking care of children or grandchildren too and this is this is a program that's designed to help that sandwich generation. Hope it gives participants the opportunity to share their concerns and possibly find kindred spirits among the group it brings resources to people that are finding themselves in a caregiving position. It also creates a a place where people can gather and work on that social isolation aspect and it talks about the fact that people in this time in their lives they're very very busy they might not have other times where they can get out with people who are experiencing the same thing as them so it gets them all in the same place. And then this template gives you topics that you could bring in and talk about and then it has a list of different speakers that you can bring in and all of those are linked so it has different people who have in the past come to places and and talked or are willing to talk and then it also links to the different agencies on aging. In each of the areas in Montana so there's people who are somewhat local to the area who might be able to come. Then it tells them how long it they would probably want to set it up for they have some links in here to learn about the topic and then some notes about what you can do to make it special and then there's some links to some different sites one is on protecting older consumers and another is on the National Library of medicine. Their elder care book list and other resources and then just some recommendations on marketing and things so that's just one example of one of those programs that you can just go to the site pull out that template follow the guidelines and bam you've got a pro. Gram.
Margaret Mullins
That is incredible I just am so impressed that that is so readily available to librarians and we know how busy they are so to be able to pull up a template like that and have a ready resource for the public is is really amazing Tracy do you have anything to add about. The library tool.
Tracy Cook
Just I'm so impressed with Bobby 's work on them and making them accessible and fun for the libraries to use and it's quite enjoyable for me to show them the virtual trunks and what they can do with it.
Trina Filan
Do they tend to give you any feedback have you heard from any of your folks you work? With about them.
Tracy Cook
Yes actually they do really enjoy them particularly bat week that's actually probably the most popular.
Margaret Mullins
You're not like that week.
Tracy Cook
I know and the other thing I think is I think sometimes it inspires them even if they don't use the program template they will be inspired by. Just to remember the harlowton Public Library having actually a death cafe so people could kind of talk and process death and what they need to think about and how they need to prepare for that and so I think that's the other piece of it is not only just I'm using it but also being inspired by it to try different things as well.
Margaret Mullins
I'll just mention to Trina and I are in the process right now of creating another trunk it's the chronic disease awareness trunk so we'll be having information in there from our diabetes cardiovascular health asthma lifestyle Wellness our different programs will be in there and hopefully some of that would correlate. With health months right so when you heart have a heart health month or a diabetes month that trump can be pulled up for resources for the librarian so hopefully that will be. Helpful and then also a the heart of healthy communities toolkit is a resource that has been created here at the chronic disease Bureau it's a community asset building toolkit I won't go into too much detail but we'll we'll create a link for it on our site but it's a good resource for both. Community and health care to develop resources for working more closely together. Another great project that I think we should talk about are the blood pressure kits I wondered if either of you could talk a little bit about that from your perspective.
Bobbi deMontigny
Blood pressure kept sort of started this whole thing with us really we got together and talked about ways that the library could work with public health and it spawned so many things but we had that. Virtual program the connect to thrive that Tracy had talked about came out of that and then we started working together talking about what we could do with the the toolkits for the blood pressure cuffs and we talked about what needed to be in them we settled on the. Uh blood pressure monitor the cuff a pedometer and then some information in those kits that people can use a log sheet to record readings that they've got checking their blood pressure. And we managed to get them out to 16 catalog locations showing up so when you go to that website on the lifelong learning page you can click on that and see where you can get one and even reserve it directly from there if that is one of the settings they have set up in that library. And in the notes. In the catalog it says what all is in there.
Margaret Mullins
That's perfect. And again Tracy or Bobby I don't know if you've heard back from libraries about those blood pressure cuffs and how useful they are.
Tracy Cook
You know in Montana we have very tiny libraries all the way up to much larger libraries and the blood pressure kits almost seem to fall in that medium range where you had multiple staff I think probably to be able to assist the patron some staff have just kind of expressed concerns about helping people and doing it right and that's why I think our next step in that might be. Working with like the local public health nurse and or some very open minded willing medical professionals just kind of reassure people. So in order to be able to get that usage and to get the word out as well so that's kind of what I've heard so far I don't know Bobby if you've gotten more specific feedback.
Bobbi deMontigny
They have they have wanted some kind of. Premade promotional things because they've got some.
Margaret Mullins
Screen.
Bobbi deMontigny
Community. Out there in the library they're putting it up on bulletin boards and things but I think like Tracy said getting that cooperation from the medical professionals and sending people back to the library for that or getting that getting the word out in places that. Isn't already the library because they're probably telling the same people over and over at the library where getting the word out elsewhere is probably going to help really drive the usage for those.
Trina Filan
That's really good feedback because the purpose of these cuffs is to help people who may not be able to get to a clinic or a healthcare provider during regular business hours have access to a blood pressure cuff so that they can monitor their pressure for a given amount of time and see how they're doing. Right and then they can interact with their healthcare. Either if they're worried about their blood pressure there's a an instruction book in the kit to understand blood pressure so the the goal is better partnership between.
Margaret Mullins
Yes.
Trina Filan
Patient slash patron and clinical provider right but this is sort of a a way to have access to umm. Way less but hopefully a less stressful.
Margaret Mullins
Way yes I would agree with all of that I do know some Flyers were sent out to the clinics and the communities where the kids are but I think sometimes like Trina just said it is something they are not necessarily used to doing for themselves taking their blood pressure and the librarians. Although they are not responsible for teaching the patrons how to take their blood pressure may feel much more comfortable understanding that process. So more education for them so that they can answer some questions or at least direct them in the right way I think it's really good feedback is very good feedback for those toolkits and a good reminder for other health resources that we might put. Into the library so.
Trina Filan
Yeah I think that uh that sounds like a project for us to. Work on this motor yes yeah.
Margaret Mullins
I will just say this project was inspired by a project in Wyoming I'd like to give him a little credit there and the Montana State library has been most generous and our ability to be able to put those kids out there. So we appreciate that very much. I have a couple more things that I'm thinking about that we have done with the libraries umm one of them is your monthly newsletter which we regularly contribute to we have what's called the social determinants of health corner and we really do appreciate the ability to communicate and share with the public librarians all over the state I wonder if you can just tell us how long that's been going and. How how it is received by the library?
Bobbi deMontigny
Yeah we have had the lifelong learning newsletter specifically for over a year now going on maybe a year and a half part of our conversations the same conversations that led to that connected thrive talk and the blood pressure cuffs we also talked about that blurb going out in the lifelong learning news. And the lifelong learning newsletter reaches stick about 1500 people library staff and volunteers each month it's usually very library focused people who get that newsletter but it is. Going out to let them know what's going on in social determinants of health it's familiarizing them with you Margaret and Trina so they can reach out if they want to do something it's been a great place to get more interest about the different health literacy trunks it has also. He was the prime place where we solicited to find out who was actually interested in having. A blood pressure cuff. As you can see there's been a good response to that. Some of the talks going out and some of the the links about the trunks going out in the newsletter has definitely driven up the usage of those virtual trunks I think about between the smoke safety and the health literacy trunk we've got about 770. Bits of people opening and utilizing those resources. And maze advertising comes out of that newsletter.
Margaret Mullins
That's amazing that's so good.
Tracy Cook
You know I count on Bobby to have the statistics at hand I think it is pretty amazing to see the usage of it and actually this conversation reminds me that we certainly put the push out in the beginning but of course you know this it's like you always have to kind of go back and remind people because people change or they don't.
Margaret Mullins
Yes.
Tracy Cook
Or they weren't ready for the information at that time and so this has inspired me to go Oh yeah Bobby we should talk about you know just another refresher on those virtual trunks and the health literacy resources just to keep reminding people.
Bobbi deMontigny
I was thinking the same thing as we're getting into those winter months I'm starting to think about less. In person stuff and more of my my webinars and things and I think it's about time to bring that in and now that we have the the trunk with all of the templates to do a program. The libraries in many cases have the blood pressure cuffs we can talk about programming in the library as one more thing that is a little bit more cohesive with all of these parts that they can bring together.
Margaret Mullins
Absolutely I think that's so important and when Tracy mentioned sometimes people aren't ready to sort of receive one particular piece of information right when they're given it I think that's really good point too there's a whole lot of things that can be revisited. And it's just a reminder to that there's so much good information out there and it's it's worth repeating alright Bobby you also reminded me of one more thing the monthly webinars Trina and I did participate in that with the connect to thrive and we enjoy having an opportunity to talk to the libraries. We were in harlington we were the librarian was explaining how much they do look forward to those webinars they bring people in and there are really good opportunity to sort of share resources I wonder if you could tell us a little bit more about those webinars.
Bobbi deMontigny
I would be delighted to talk about those we are in peak webinar season now kickoff was on September 25th we usually do these in the end of the month so just kind of depending on the readiness for it in December there will be a cyber security and online safety talk January is. History of Montana laws with the law library in Franklin.
Trina Filan
How do people access this resource and and so you can register right and but then if you miss it they're also recordings? Right.
Bobbi deMontigny
We have this whole series listed out on the Montana State library web page and then in the month leading up to it it's all over our social media and then any libraries who want to co-host with us will get an invitation link and they'll be pushing that out on their social media too and what's really cool is if you're listening to this and you look it up in your library. Happens to be pushing these out you can check with them and see if they're actually going to be doing a watch party in their library because some of these libraries do. And that's really fun and then if they aren't doing a watch party they still are sending out the information so that their patrons can tune in and watch from their computers at home so there's many ways to access this check your libraries social media check your library website and check the Montana State library. Social media and there will be a link to the virtual programming series in. And then in the notes about this show I'm real excited about this it's so much fun to get all of these different experts in to talk about all of these things and then the best part is we open it up so the attendees can ask questions in the chat and engage in real time with the speaker so it also helps with that social isolation a little bit. Even if you're at your house you're still hanging out with people who are interested in the same thing and.
Trina Filan
It's pretty cool.
Tracy Cook
Poppy and I've been really thinking about how to make sure we have that social connection piece with this and it's kind of been the next iteration of the virtual programming and that's why we've really been trying to emphasize those watch parties because past libraries that did that said that the the conversations were so engaging. People were talking to each other that maybe knew each other casually but didn't realize that they shared the same interest in mushrooms or dinosaurs or whatever and and that's very fun to hear and so Bobby and I've really been trying to think about how to emphasize that piece as well. Using.
Margaret Mullins
You have it yeah that's great.
Bobbi deMontigny
On that note you did ask about the recordings and we are moving in more of a direction to get people connecting and showing up and participating in real time so actually the recorded piece is not not the model that we're following anymore.
Trina Filan
It's a selection of really cool. Resources and you know especially since Montana is giant right it's a giant place it's hard sometimes for people to get into a central location to join a watch party but if there are ways to enhance. And their experience of a presentation together that's worth exploring is that a hard thing to accomplish or do we have better technologies for that.
Bobbi deMontigny
We're using zoom webinar to accomplish that but it seems to be working really well one of the nice parts about that is whether it's a watch party and it's the librarian translating the questions to chat and then the speaker is addressing. The room or it's an individual it keeps that conversation going from all parts of the state and it's bringing people together from different perspectives cool example of this was the native plant program we just did because there are different plants oh over and and Montana 's so big we've got many different microclimates and. So in one section she was talking about sweetgrass and people like oh sweet grass I know all about that and then they were sharing their books that they like braiding sweetgrass came up and then they started sharing other books by. The author and then all of a sudden they're talking about some other plant that shows up in another part of the state and then it's like Oh yeah so and so talks about this and there was just so much networking going on it was cool and then at the end. Not right at the end it takes a day or so to gather all the information but everything that everyone talked about in the chat. I look through all of that and then I send out a resource list to everyone who registered for the program so at the end they'll get to see all of those different resources maybe all of like someone will mention oh there's a YouTube speaker and a series of videos that someone does on the impacts of mining in Montana and what does that mean. And then I'll add that to the resource list so then people can see all of the things that were discussed as kind of a tickler to remember that and then make those connections with those other things that can expand their interest.
Trina Filan
I am really excited that we've had this conversation because I need to get. Registered yeah I.
Margaret Mullins
Do too like I got to get signed up how would I don't want to? Miss any of these.
Trina Filan
This is ridiculous to miss.
Bobbi deMontigny
You don't get the sign up for once and then get all of them though you do have to sign up for each one that just helps me get a count of. Who's actually? Attending so OK good.
Trina Filan
To know that is a a good additional note. Cool we also know that there are a bunch of other projects that you all have been involved with there are a couple that you specifically have mentioned before and there might be some other ones that are on your mind but let's talk a little bit about. Uh creative aging. And that's a partnership between libraries and the Montana Arts Council right.
Bobbi deMontigny
Yeah so it's between libraries and artists and it's this whole kind of system that we're kind of putting together for this we have an intern we've just hired and they're coming in to really work on and develop a web page for us where. Uh they're going to get the different artists who want to work with us and put them all up on the site and then link to all of the information libraries would need to contact that artist and bring that person in to their library sometimes depending on funding and whatnot the state library can help out with some of those. Fast and. Sometimes not but at any point a library should be able to reach out to an artist from this site when it's built and find someone to come in and then when I say come in that's someone who would come to the library and do a series of maybe around 6 classes starting with introductory things up to the point of. Completed project and those classes would be for seniors to come into their libraries and meet the artist learn how to do something new work on that social isolation because they're all there too. Other. Making friends with people who do the same types of art that they are interested in. So there's that aspect of bringing someone into the library and creating things together and then at the end they also have a culminating event and this is what makes it really cool I think because these people have come to this program over the course of. Probably 6 weeks and learn something new and created something and then they get to present the thing that they created so in some cases like. One library did a lovely gallery sort of demonstration where they had all of their pieces up and and they got to invite their friends and family in to go see everything that they made and it was framed and it was beautiful and just fantastic another got together and did a writing workshop and then those writers then got to read their pieces to their friends and family. Who gathered to listen to them and I loved that because they got platformed as someone up on stage that was getting to read something that was meaningful to them to people that they cared about and then the testimonials and the feedback we got back from this we're just? Let's see I have one here. Even though I've lived here for 30 years and know these people when I see them in the grocery store they were more like acquaintances it is really nice to be in an art making space with them I did not know that this was an interest for them and now we have something in common. And then another I enrolled because I wanted to spark my creative side long dormant and maybe. And dead I now have the desire to document noteworthy events in my life passing on a priceless gift to my children and grandchildren isn't that.
Margaret Mullins
Lovely that's amazing fall really really is those are great testimonials I love it.
Trina Filan
Tracy do you have anything you'd like to say about creative agent because you're probably watching it. But unfold it on on the ground in a lot of different places.
Tracy Cook
Yes when we first started this partnership with Montana Arts Council and lifetime arts lifetime arts is a national organization dedicated to this cause and they had really robust data about the power of bringing older adults together and using art and how that actually address both. Physical health issues as well as of course the social isolation and mental health issues as well. What's fun is to see it in action and to see people really engaged and and loving it so much that they found a way as a group for instance in Glasgow to continue it with the teacher you know who actually said you know what I don't feel like I'm a teacher so much as? I'm one of you and so the artist became like a a student with the other students and their group together and it's really very powerful to see the. And to see kind of the smiles on peoples faces and it reminded me we haven't talked about this but many libraries have worked with the Alzheimer's Association and there was an exhibit that was going around from an artist who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and and he was documenting kind of his process. And it reminded me of a story from Sydney Richland County library where they hosted that exhibit and a woman came with her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and she was like I felt like our story was represented and it still chokes me up when I hear her. Talk about how. That brought them so much comfort and connection and that is certainly something that many Montana families are struggling with is caring for older adults and older adults who may be diagnosed with dementia as well and the arts and their ability to give people an outlet is really pretty powerful as. Well.
Trina Filan
I think that's a really beautiful way to. To put into action of what is actually a complex web in any community right no matter how large or small there are resources. That can connect to help people thrive right it doesn't matter whether you think you don't have anything or always done that before there's always somebody. In a position to be able to say let's try this or hey I saw this in another town that's like ours let's try this out right and I I think that's one of the beautiful pieces about adding libraries in to the idea of of health and well-being right that. That this is the central place of trust where all kinds of cool things can happen and all kinds of expertise can blossom. UM there was something that you all mentioned when we were talking about what we wanted to talk about during this podcast and I think it was Tracy you had an example of something that happened in limbo. That you wanted to share.
Tracy Cook
Yes when I went to work with the Weibo library on something completely different she took me over to meet the public health nurse because. Because she said the public health nurse has been an incredible partner with the library and so I asked Mindy the library director about that and she said the ways that the public health nurse in the library have partnered together have included. Grants to purchase books on particular health topics the health nurses come over and actually let a story time for kids just kind of focusing on. On kids and health the public health nurses also I suspect because of that human connection and the recognition have how important that is has helped host events that bring community members together to just reduce social isolation and has also helped the library obtain some technology. I think again to help with access to the resources and access to telehealth as well. And I realized after I gave you that example that I think up in glacier county a very similar thing happened and it started with just a grant with mental health and then it grew into more and more opportunities it's kind of like once the public health nurse and the library works together they find other ways that they can connect with programming and access. To resources as well.
Trina Filan
That's really interesting I love that example.
Margaret Mullins
It is it's just what I love is how it blooms one thing just leads to another when you mentioned that the the art instructor for instance became a partner that it can go both ways and that these different programs lead to other programs it's really the whole idea. And it encapsulates everything we're talking about in terms of what libraries can actually do in a community I would like to take a moment. To talk about a project Tracy you have already referred to it a project that we did a while ago on the perceptions of rural and frontier montanans of their health and the health of their communities and we were invited to sort of share our findings with the sagebrush federation of libraries and eastern Montana we thought that that was such a great opportunity. Because we got to talk with all those librarians about how community health is such a strong indicator of individual quality. Life and how the libraries can play a role in making communities better places to live you you referenced this also but you explain the term social determinants of health it's certainly not new it's just a a terminology for things that we have understood and lived with for a very long time and so it's great to bring that information as well as the greater picture. 2 different libraries and I'm just wondering if each of you can speak to that idea of community health and quality of life.
Tracy Cook
As I mentioned earlier I was really struck I mean you're right social determinants of health when you said it I was like of course all of these things do help contribute to peoples well-being but I think there was something about the way you said it and that you organized it and I was just maybe working with Bobby and and the programming and the aspect of it in the libraries and saw. The role that libraries really can play. And. You know I think that that conversation later on those librarians that were in the room had kind of started to talk about doing some different programming and one of them reached out and was like you know I had tried this walking program but it didn't go very far and this kind of inspired me to try that again but maybe try it at a different time or. Advertise it differently and so I think what is interesting is it's kind of like a it's a big picture concept the whole social determine. Of health but of course the reality of it is in the details and how you work that out and that's where maybe the libraries can help and where I think your own resources and the virtual trunks and so forth is like giving them OK here's that concept of social isolation or here's the concept of access to good food but here are the concrete ways. That you can actually make that happen and I think that that is something that we are really working with libraries to try and identify better.
Bobbi deMontigny
I am not on the ground so I am more on the angle of again connecting people to resources and those partnerships and you guys have been doing the the CVH the cardiovascular health collaborative meetings and for for me that has been putting me in contact with the. Different people who are also trying to you know meet the same goal and address these same issues and one of the. One of the exercises we did in there was talking about the different resources and how we could put everything together and it kept coming up that there would be some kind of a van a community resource that would be somewhere right and they were like where where would this community resource be and of course this is like. We're we're brainstorming here I'm not saying that this is a a thing that's happening don't don't be scared librarians I'm not parking a van in your parking lot right who. Has a place where this van would go and it came up that there's a library in Everett county right everyone's got a library maybe maybe the van would go there and so it's just it was an exercise in thought about how all of these different areas can come together to create something that? Can really solve? Problems and in some places they're doing it I know that Billings had a huge role during the COVID situation and at the time the director there had talked about wanting to. I'd some sort of health clinic situation for overflow but he didn't really have it figured out he was just like we are here for you tell us what you want and it turned out that what they really needed was a place to watch all the children of the nurses and the healthcare professionals who were working all of these. The overwhelming hours and over and above what a regular daycare would provide so the Billings. The Billings library then turned their big meeting room into the care for all of these nurses and it enabled them to be able to do the work that they needed to do and then they didn't have to repurpose the library into a place that was that that had ill people coming into it to be seen instead it was OK we're going to watch these kids. And free up capacity elsewhere and so it's just one of those things where. They're with within that state of brainstorming the web of connection is so big and libraries are such an integral community resource that's that sometimes those conversations start one way and turn out another but all of that to say that they are very very deeply involved in how. However it works out.
Margaret Mullins
That's great information I think you're right about that and again and again libraries crop up as a as a resource like you said even if it doesn't start there when people think about community and where we can link libraries are always a part of that equation or should be if they're not.
Trina Filan
We. Have been talking a? Lot about how libraries play an important role in community.
Speaker
But.
Trina Filan
Sometimes other people in other positions don't recognize that right and you know once once a partnership begins like the public health nurse connecting with the Public Library it becomes more obvious and maybe easier to come up with ways to partner. But how how can. Local organizations that have ideas and maybe want to start seeing their library as a partner how can they go about creating those those partnerships. How do they think outside of their regular boxes and then go and and brush these subjects? Also knowing. But or maybe we can also talk about how libraries might be able to go and approach partners that they might not regularly work with and I I think it's also important to acknowledge that not every library has lots of staff and is open all the time right there there are limitations and constraints. Everybody has to work with them.
Bobbi deMontigny
I think that the first step would honestly just be saying this is what I hope to accomplish. This is one way that you can achieve your goals as a community spot for for gathering for information for reducing social isolation how can we come together and make this happen and so the first step I believe would just be the conversations and whether whether folks. Wanted to have those conversations with me or with their their local librarian there are many ways to have those conversations. I would think that that locally because in some of these smaller areas a lot of folks already know each other and might not already realize that they have an overlap of interest and goal that those could probably start at the local level but I'm I'm not saying. That they can't reach out to me too I could certainly bring it back around to a librarian if they wanted to.
Tracy Cook
You would agree with Bobby you know the first step is whether it's the library or the community organization is talking to each other. And you know MSU extension and I cannot remember the name of it but they do this rural planning where they bring all these different community organizations together and the stories I have heard about the partnerships forged from that are just great I mean some of its economic development. I as as we've been talking and as I've been thinking about your question Trina I think the most successful ones are where we identify the purpose and if it's the purpose is to reduce social isolation or if it's to connect people or if it's just simply to share resources together then that purpose. Helps us identify what partners and I think one of the things we've been trying to work with libraries to think about is who else might care about that issue and I guess I would encourage other community organizations to think about if you're working on some issue. Who else might care about that and could the library be a place and maybe the role of the library is just to provide the space for others to come together to work out the problem and come up with a solution but sometimes the role of the library is to actually? Be a partner in the solution and be a more active participant in that and that's just obviously a follow up conversation. As well and I want to thank Bobby because she just shared the name of that program it's reimagining world and that is a wonderful program for small communities in Montana to participate in and it's very very very community wide it's going to go farther than health it's also going to talk about. Economic development but really at its core it's about the well-being of the community and the community thriving.
Bobbi deMontigny
We had a connection with Tara mastel from there and she offered to talk it actually was either I'd have to go back and look it was either right before or right after the connect to thrive talk and those 2 topics just came together so beautifully.
Margaret Mullins
You both have really kind of hit upon something that I was going to ask you about next it has to do a little bit with the the connecting the dots so then the network of national libraries of medicine we've learned a lot from them they have some great resources too to help connect the dots between libraries and and health. And you've mentioned some of these already but I'm thinking a little bit more about some of the local organizations and the partnering with the libraries and maximizing that effect and and being able to think outside the comfort zone this is this is not so much you too because I think you already think outside of the comfort zone and how to integrate libraries. But encouraging the public to think about the libraries as a greater entity one of the examples that comes to mind for me are these telehealth booths that are in libraries. People might know they have Wi-Fi at libraries they might even know there's something telehealth related but there are some libraries that have isolated you know rooms just for privacy and for those connections and helping the public sort of recognize that they can think outside the box. I'm just wondering if you have any extra feedback about that.
Bobbi deMontigny
There is an information guide on libraries and telehealth and there's an overview about it and considerations that libraries might want to think about if they're going to do this in a little guide on room set up and things like that and it's based off of the Idaho library telehealth 101 guide so that. Is and there's some best practices and things in there so if you are a library looking to do this there are some sources to help you and guide you through how that might look and how to set that? But.
Tracy Cook
You know I think this is something that we as librarians could be better about and how you how we talk about our services and what people can get from it. So I feel like I don't actually have the greatest of answer to you I think it's something we're still trying to figure out to really let people know that libraries are no longer you know just books that they have changed and that they can be a place where you can come and connect with others and I know that. Social media is definitely a platform that more and more libraries are using. But that also only reaches a certain number of people and so I don't. I think we still need to work that out I would love that I would love to figure out how to kind of encourage community members to think about the library and I I also think this is something librarians have mentioned I'm curious to know if it's come up in public health as well. It's like people are a little bit reticent to interact with one another you know they whether their skills got rusty or or just the stress of modern life they aren't as comfortable connecting with one another in public spaces and yet I think many of us recognize the importance of that. So that's another challenge to that that I think we're wrestling with it's not just lack of knowledge it's almost like a hesitancy on the part of people to come and interact in that way.
Margaret Mullins
That's such a great observation Tracy certainly post COVID some of that came into play but it it's been there before that as well so many libraries have little coffee shops now little places to make that connection a little bit more comfortable which is great.
Trina Filan
Can you talk a little bit about winning and win it?
Bobbi deMontigny
The residents in in winnett there aren't many of them I think under 200 they they were at 1:00 point. Going to lose their county it was going to be dissolved and then through that reimagining rural sort of process they work together to come up with some ways to turn things around and they now have a beef to schools program there's a YouTube video about that that I can share. But that wasn't necessarily through libraries but it was through that reimagining rural program.
Margaret Mullins
I I think that is all of our questions we're sort of winding down here but is there anything else that either of you might like to discuss or bring up for our listeners.
Tracy Cook
You know obviously we know about and think about really large community events but a lot of what we've talked about today is small stuff and I think the small steps can really make a big. Difference in people 's lives.
Bobbi deMontigny
Absolutely when I talk about all of these different programs that are either being done by libraries or programs that the Montana State library is helping with to to help facilitate movement among libraries toward these areas. They all started as little bitty small things that have grown and each one of them I love the ideas and if you are a library listening to this and you're like oh I wanna do this in my community. I just don't know how talk to me maybe we can come up with something maybe there's another library out there who's trying to do the same thing and if if there are people wanting to do it then that's the groundwork for a program and and I seem to just love giving myself more stuff to do so please reach. Out to me. And we'll see what we can come up with.
Margaret Mullins
Well that worked to our benefit is all I can say you know here at the chronic disease Bureau at the Department of Public Health and Human services we have benefited from what started as a very small let's get to know each other conversation and so much largely due to your enthusiasm and ideas was able to grow into this amazing. Partnership and ability to open up health options for the public and address social determinants of health so just thank you to both of you for allowing us to be a part of all of that. And with that I'd like to say thank you so much on behalf of Trina and myself and the crew behind the scenes thank you also to our fabulous guests if you'd like more information on what was discussed today just visit our website at talking health and the406.mt.gov where there'll be links to the information that's been discussed. And if you haven't already Please remember to rate review and subscribe to our podcast and until next time be healthy and be well.