Health Literacy in Diverse Communities: The Strength of Weak Ties—An Exploration between Academic Researchers and Public Libraries in Central New Jersey

Abstract:Community residents conceive of their health and wellness priorities and concerns differently based on cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. As public libraries adopt health literacy programs to facilitate better access to information, they also need to align their programs and services to reflect the aspirations and concerns of the more marginalized members of their communities. This article describes how a team of Rutgers University librarians, scholars, and students worked with public librarians in three adjacent communities to investigate underlying conditions that shape how different populations approach health and wellness. Over several years, the research team listened to local citizens talk about their aspirations and concerns. Using tools developed by the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation with the American Library Association and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, the team set a goal to understand how libraries might strengthen their relationships and engagement with diverse communities concerning health and wellness. Their findings revealed that upper-middle-class residents in one town were more likely to use the local library to stay informed about health literacy, relying on the strength of “weak ties,” while tightly bonded African American residents in a bordering town, along with Latino immigrants in a third neighboring community, depended more on strong personal ties to inform their health and wellness decisions. They concluded that librarians will need to build trust and engage more deeply with these marginalized populations if they are to bolster the health and wellness of these members of their communities.