Public Library Partnerships for Public Health: Health in all Policies (HiAP) as a New Conceptual Framework for LIS Teaching and Research

Abstract

This article introduces the Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach to the LIS community to propose a new way of thinking and teaching about how health is supported in public libraries. The topic of consumer health literacy has been a mainstay in the discourse of public librarianship, but we argue that this approach has not fully supported public librarians seeking to find uniquely local ways to support public health. Health in All Policies (HiAP) was developed by public health researchers and policy makers as a mechanism to promote health by facilitating action across sectors, including those where health is not a primary organizational focus. HiAP's focus on multi-sector community health systems opens a conceptual space for thinking about how to strategically and proactively support and advocate for public libraries and public librarians as one sector among many that contribute to community health. This approach could be a positive alternative to the sometimes negative experiences of public librarians being asked, or ordered, to fulfill public health duties, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when public librarians were pressured to take on new public health roles as perhaps never before. After introducing the concept, the article discusses some of the ways in which it could be incorporated into LIS education, particularly for public librarians, as well as some of the topical areas that need further development to fully bring this perspective into the teaching and research of LIS.