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Veterans Health Literacy Display and/or Space

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Description

Providing a centralized display and/or space for veterans to come in order to find reliable resources, as well as assistance in how to utilize/navigate said resources, surrounding health literacy.

*May coincide/highlight display and/or space resources with awareness month toolkits (i.e. PTSD Awareness Month, Women’s History Month, etc.).

Audience

  • Adults, 18+ years old
  • Veterans, dependents, family, and friends

*Display and/or space may be open to veterans and anyone within their support network.

Cost

Variable depending on needs 

  1. Display: 
  • $0 - $500 annually, depending on needs and currently available resources 
  • May desire a graphic designer to create infographics, posters, and other materials 
  • May wish to add titles to the library collection that support Veteran health literacy 
  1. Space: 
  • $0 - $5,000 initially, depending on needs and currently available resources, with potential for recurring costs either annually or over a longer period of time 
  • Can space be allocated/dedicated on a continual basis for the health literacy purpose, and how large is the space? 
  • Is furniture needed? 
  • Will electronic resources be needed for veterans and patrons to use? Computers, printers, software, etc.  
  • How often will these supplies need to be maintained/updated? 
  • Will an outside source need to be responsible for this maintenance, and how much do they charge? 

Timing 

  1. Display: 
  • *Rotating and updating frequently and periodically throughout the year 
  • *Monthly to highlight resources surrounding Awareness Month topics 
  • *At least quarterly to ensure ongoing/static resources are still up-to-date/links still work 
  1. Space: 
  • Same as above, with the following added considerations 
    • Electronic Resources (Optional): 
      • Weekly maintenance of software updates/debugging, etc. 
      • Annual assessment of devices to ensure they are still in good condition/do not need replacing 
    • Furniture: 
      • Annual assessment of furniture to ensure they are still in good condition/do not need replacing 

Suggested Duration

Ongoing throughout the year

Resources needed 

  • Area to display information regarding health literacy resources and helpful guides 
  • The table on which to set up a display 
  • Wall space to hang posters and other informational materials (optional) 
  • Available resources surrounding health literacy and other awareness topics 
  • Handouts, bibliographic list of resources, etc. 
  • Pens, highlighters, and other office supplies for veterans and patrons to utilize for taking notes (optional) 
  • Space:  
    • Same as above, with these added considerations -  
      • Available space/room depending on needs of the facility 
      • Furniture for veterans and patrons to sit comfortably and review health literacy information 
      • Chairs 
      • End and/or coffee tables (optional) 
      • Tables 
      • Computer station(s) for veterans and other patrons to utilize (optional) 
      • Computer(s) for veterans and other patrons to utilize (optional) 
      • Appropriate computer software for veterans and other patrons to utilize (optional) 
      • Printer(s) for veterans and other patrons to utilize (optional) 
  • Marketing of Veteran health literacy resource displays and/or spaces 
    • Social Media 
    • Flyers/Posters 
    • Email blast to patrons 

Tips for Success

  • Ensure staff are available to assist veterans and patrons with any questions they may have regarding the resources being provided 
    • Examples: How to navigate health literacy websites, how to perform a health literacy web search, etc. 
  • Ensure staff are aware that they CANNOT provide actual medical advice; only guide patrons to helpful resources – including advising patrons to seek out their medical providers 
  • Evaluate health literacy resources for their clarity, reliability, ease of use, and accessibility 
    • Resources should be easy to use and understandable for patrons 
  • Reach out to medical community partners for recommendations and ideas on health literacy resources 
  • Try and make the displays and/or spaces as comfortable, visually appealing, and inviting as possible to encourage patron usage of health literacy resources 
  • Periodically update the visual design of graphic resources, like posters, to provide ongoing visual interest for patrons 
  • Do not just limit said health literacy resources to the physical area of the display and/or space 
    • Advertise the resources on the library’s website, social media accounts, via email, etc. 
  • Survey veterans and patrons regarding what type of informational resources they are most in need of

Assessment Ideas

  • Circulation: track how many people take the handouts provided, use the space, or check out resources recommended by the display 
  • Surveys: 
    • Ask the patrons various questions regarding the resources 
    • Ask staff and organizers regarding their views on the resources 
  • Re-postings, comments,  and/or “likes” of health literacy resource advertising on social media 
    • May need the ability to track platform metrics to assess this 
  • Suggestion box 
    • Provide an avenue, whether via a physical suggestion box, electronic suggestion box, or both, for staff and patrons to provide feedback

Partners and Stakeholders

  • Community veterans, their friends, and their families 
  • Local VA organizations/programs and their points of contact to assist with resources/suggestions 
  • VA Library Network 
  • Local medical resources 
  • Medical associations 
  • Hospitals 
  • Clinics 
  • Medical libraries 
  • Academic partners, such as local college health science programs 
  • Other community organizations (public, medical, academic, etc.) that may want to participate 

Additional Resources/Bibliography

*See the following VA Library Toolkit Committee’s other toolkits for potential resources (provided by Marielle McNeal):

  • Combating Health Misinformation – VHL, MedlinePlus, etc. (lesson plan) 
  • Health Information Literacy Skills for Veterans (lesson plan) 
  • Health Information Literacy Handout for Veterans

Other helpful health literacy resources for veterans: 

Helpful resources for Librarians: 

Submitted by 

Jennifer Jones, Fargo VA Medical Center Library

Public Domain

This is a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Foreign copyrights may apply.