Why yes, yes we can. Aside from the many health benefits reading can offer you, Libraries have been known to increase the general population health of the cities they serve.  So how can we here in Peabody help our patrons be healthy in their lives?

April is Massachusetts Health Care Decisions month (celebrating 10 years, who knew?)  and the library has some resources to help you make good decisions regarding your health. Please know, however, that health is an exceedingly personal topic and the library is never a substitute for a medical health professional’s learned opinion. We can’t diagnose a condition or offer medical advice. What we can do is help you be more informed when you go to a health practitioner’s office so your conversations with him/her are more productive.

Have you ever looked up a headache on Web MD and incited a minor panic attack in yourself with all the possible diseases a headache can be a symptom of? I’ve been there; it’s not fun. While WebMD is a very popular site to look up health information, there are other options that are not ad-driven with reliable information. As Arabella noted, there is that great “more” section on the library’s website. Part of the “more” we offer, is access to the Health and Wellness Resource Center. This site offers searchable options for health conditions, directories of practitioners, alternative medicine options and information about drugs and herbs and their interactions with the body and each other. This and many other health-based databases are available here to help you make the best health decisions for you.

The library also has health and wellness titles ranging extensively in variety. The West Branch (and very soon the South Branch!) have those listed in the BISAC system, so all you have to do is look for the “Health” section in our Adult Nonfiction stacks to find what you’re looking for.  Or you can always ask a friendly staff member to locate a book either within our stacks, or in the catalog. Because the NOBLE system includes several academic libraries, you have access to a lot more researched and reviewed information than many other public libraries who don’t have a consortium behind them.

And then there are our programs. The South Branch recently hosted a professional organizer who talked about the affects of clutter on health and well-being. The Main recently hosted a Health Information Workshop and we’re always looking to offer more programs that can help our patrons live better lives.

So this Earth Day, while I highly encourage you to think about the health of the Earth, remember also that your health is important, to the Library as well. Till next week, dear readers, stay healthy and let us know how we can help you do that!