25 September 2025

Key Takeaways:

• Highlight health literacy with dynamic displays and programs
• Extend impact through community partnerships and outreach
• Strengthen staff confidence with vetted quick-reference tools
• Plan sustainable, year-round health literacy initiatives

Health Literacy Month

Every October, Health Literacy Month spotlights the importance of helping people find, understand and use reliable health information. It's a perfect time for public libraries to highlight their trusted role in empowering communities. But health literacy isn't just a one-month initiative — it's an ongoing commitment that libraries can sustain all year.

Here are seven practical, engaging strategies to build health literacy in your community.

1. Kick Off with Visible Displays and Digital Highlights

Create an eye-catching health information display near the entrance or in high-traffic areas. Rotate themes each week of October — from heart health to diabetes to mental wellness — and include take-home brochures or QR codes that link directly to your library's digital health resources. Extend this online by sharing weekly health tips and resource spotlights through your website and social media channels.

2. Create Interactive, Engaging Experiences

Move beyond the traditional workshop. Try health literacy trivia nights, "myth-busting" games about common medical misconceptions, or scavenger hunts where patrons use library resources to answer health-related questions. Interactive activities spark curiosity and help patrons practice evaluating information in a fun, low-pressure setting.

3. Take Health Literacy Outside the Library Walls

Meet patrons where they are. Partner with local organizations to set up a library table at a farmer's market, community fair or neighborhood gym. Distribute bookmarks or flyers with links to credible online health databases and be ready to demonstrate how the library can support health information needs beyond the building.

4. Help Patrons Navigate Health Information on Social Media

More people than ever turn to TikTok, YouTube or Instagram for health advice — and much of it is misleading. Consider offering a program on "fact-checking health claims online" or weaving social media literacy into your digital literacy classes. Provide patrons with practical strategies and examples so they feel confident separating credible advice from harmful misinformation.

5. Elevate Patron Voices Through Storytelling

Anonymous patron success stories can be powerful advocacy tools. Highlight how someone used the library to research a new diagnosis, find wellness resources, or connect with local services. Share these stories (with permission) on your website, newsletter or displays during Health Literacy Month. LibraryAware offers templates and tools to support your storytelling efforts. Personal narratives remind the community — and decision-makers — that the library is more than books; it's a lifeline.

6. Build Staff Capacity with Quick Reference Tools

Front-line staff don't need to be health experts, but they do need confidence in pointing patrons to the right sources. Create an internal "cheat sheet" of vetted health resources — including MedlinePlus, local hotlines, and subscription databases such as Consumer Health Ultimate. Encourage peer sharing by inviting staff to exchange quick tips during team meetings or through an internal bulletin. The American Library Association has a web page devoted to health literacy including a health literacy toolkit with key messages, program ideas and downloadable marketing materials.

7. Develop a Year-Round Health Literacy Calendar

Don't let October be the end point. Map out a 12-month calendar of health observances — Heart Health Month (February), Mental Health Awareness Month (May), Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) and more. Use these milestones to guide displays, programs and social media campaigns. A structured calendar keeps health literacy visible and sustainable year-round.

Health Literacy Month offers a valuable opportunity to raise awareness, but public libraries can make the biggest impact by weaving health literacy into everyday services. By engaging patrons with creative programs, expanding outreach and empowering staff, libraries can strengthen their role as trusted guides to better health information.

Consumer Health Ultimate can help your library lead the way in building healthier communities.