Butte library hosts health fair Friday

By Paula J. McGarvey for The Montana Standard - 04/01/2008

If you are an older adult looking for health information, you might want to check out the local library.

The Butte Public Library and the St. James Healthcare Medical Library are collaborating on a community health fair for older adults on Friday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the public library, 226 W. Broadway in Butte.

The fair will offer 15 informational booths representing community services and businesses that cater to the older population. Six guest speakers from the local community are invited to present information on senior related topics. Speakers include Dr. Carlos Sullivan, mental health; Dr. Nicholas Blavatsky, arthritic joints; Dr. Mike Bartoletti, dental health; Shawn Powers, pharmacist, prescription drugs; Holly Ferguson, physical therapist, therapy for arthritic joints; and Alane Smith, registered dietician, nutrition.

Volunteers will also be available throughout the day on the half-hour to teach computer skills necessary to access health information on the Internet.

According to Anne Marie Mattioli, library associate at the Butte Public Library, the idea for Montana libraries to host the health fair in April was presented at a recent statewide library conference. The local library agreed to take part.

“We want people to know that the library is a good source of health information,” she said. Mattioli contacted Laurel Egan, medical librarian at St. James Healthcare, and the two agreed to collaborate on the project.

“We received a $500 award from the National Network of Libraries Pacific Northwest Region, to help fund the event,” said Egan.

During the fair, Egan and other volunteers will be helping people learn how to find quality health information online.

“Most people go right on to Google and click the first thing that pops up,” said Egan.

According to Egan, there are a few tricks available to help people find good information at a level that they can understand, such as avoiding commercial sites in favor of those Web sites sponsored by government or national organizations. The goal is to give people the tools that they need to become informed about their medical conditions.

“There are agencies within your community that can help and the library can connect you to the resources that will help you with your information needs,” she said.

Both Egan and Mattioli encourage people to continue to use the library as a health resource after Friday’s fair. The Butte Public Library has a host of health-related books, magazines, videos and DVDs and other resources available through inter-library loan. The public library also offers Internet access.

“We have seven public computers. People are allowed an hour, per person, per day,” Mattioli said. She also plans on surveying health fair attendees for suggestions for future educational activities.

“We’re going to try and get some feedback from the people to see what they might be interested in,” she said.

Egan added that the medical library at St. James Healthcare was also open to the public to help people obtain information about their health.

“We do not interpret information. We just help located it,” she said For more information about the fair or library services call the public library at 723-3361 or the medical library at 723-2523.