NNLM Traveling Exhibit now at Marquette's Raynor Library

 Marquette will host “This Lead is Killing Us: A History of Citizens Fighting Lead Poisoning in their Communities,” which explores how citizens, scientists and medical professionals have confronted industry to protect their health against the dangers of lead poisoning, beginning March 10 and running through April 19 at Raynor Library. 

Lead exposure can cause neurological problems, even death — especially in children. Despite this, the metal has been pervasive in many aspects of life in Milwaukee and the rest of the United States for more than a century. Many industries added lead to their manufacturing processes and products, endangering their workers and putting communities at risk through polluted air, contaminated water and paint dust. 

“This Lead is Killing Us” is produced by the National Library of Medicine and features photographs, advertisements, newspaper articles, official reports and other materials that reveal how and when lead has hurt Americans’ health and shines a light on milestone civic actions that have protected communities against this environmental danger. 

The National Library of Medicine offers a variety of online companion materials: 

• Exhibition highlights, including historical materials shown in the exhibition 
• Educational resources for K-12 educators, including lesson plans 
• Digital gallery with related historical materials, including scientific reports and public service announcements, on the dangers of lead 

This exhibit is free and open to the public during the library’s regular visitor hours. 

Best public health books of 2024

Looking back at books published in 2024, Harvard Public Health shared their list of best public health books published in 2024. These 12 titles include biographies, industry exposes, and titles on disease and mental health. Have you read any from this list? 

 

• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haid
•  The Art and Science of Connection by Kasley Killam
•  Blood by Jen Gunter
•  But What Will People Say? by Sahaj Kaur Kohli
•  The Cancer Factory by Jim Morris
•  The Connection Cure by Julia Hotz
•  Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare by Nora Kenworthy
• Life Under Pressure by Anna S. Mueller and Seth Abrutyn 
• Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton 
• Profiles in Mental Health Courage by Patrick J. Kennedy and Stephen Fried
• Rebel Health by Susannah Fox
• On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service by Anthony Fauci

 

 

 

Your Local Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina on The Ezra Klein Show

Katelyn Jetelina, aka Your Local Epidemiologist, was one of the trusted voices that emerged during the pandemic. She was able to translate the public health science into something the rest of us could understand.

Although some may want to just leave the pandemic behind, the session is a useful review of the last 3.5 years.  As Jetelina says, it's more about listening to the questions and contemplating your own answers.  This is how we begin to heal from the collective trauma of the pandemic and prepare for the future.

Ezra Klein Show KATELYN JETELINA AUG 31 This week I was honored to be on the Ezra Klein Show hosted by the New York Times. We took a serious dive into the past 3.5 years: pandemic revisionism, masks, school closings, the politicization of public health, Sweden’s response, trade-offs in policy, and the tragedy of 1.2 million deaths. Basically, all the easy topics (just kidding). I finally got the guts to listen. It was the most challenging interview I’ve ever participated in. The questions were so heavy, complex, and complicated. I tried to be raw, honest, transparent, and fair. It was (and still is) a bit scary. I’m sharing not so you listen to my answers. (I actually don’t think there is one answer to these questions.) Instead, I hope you listen to the questions and contemplate your answers. I’ve found it helpful in processing this life-altering event and a start to heal from collective trauma. Self-reflection, open conversations, and listening—the only way to learn and be better prepared for the future. The recording, transcript, attributions, and my book recommendations (in typical Ezra Klein fashion) can all be found HERE. It’s 65 minutes, so grab your coffee and get comfortable. Me in the recording studio for this show a few weeks ago Love, YLE “Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH Ph.D.—an epidemiologist, wife, and mom of two little girls. During the day, she is a senior scientific consultant to several organizations. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health world so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions.

Designing Effective Health Infographics

UIC Library Virtual Symposium: Designing Effective Health Infographics [about 3 hours]

• Part 1: Role of Infographics in Promoting Health Equity with Dr. Brenikki Floyd, PhD, MPH
• Part 2: Designing Info Graphics: Less ticks and color, more POV with Professor Robert Zolna, MDES
• Part 3: Creating Infographics with Everyday Software (like PowerPoint)

I learned about this intriguing program at the 2021 Midwest / MC-MLA Chapter Virtual Conference, where Rose Hanneke, one of the Librarians involved, talked about the program.

• Note: They are only listing it on YouTube for 6 months due to Zoom and licensing limitations. The clock is ticking , so watch it while you can!  

Lightning Talk Abstract:

Offering Online Training in Infographic Design through an Expert Speaker Event. 

Rosie Hanneke and Tina Griffin, University of Illinois Chicago Library of the Health Sciences. [Program Description] 

BACKGROUND: Infographics can visually communicate complex information in a manner easily understood by the reader. Those working in health professions increasingly seek to communicate health  information to patients and community members through this medium. In April 2021, our library held a virtual symposium, bringing together three expert speakers to convey the basic principles of design and health communication necessary for understanding what makes an infographic effective. 

DESCRIPTION: We received funding for the three expert speakers from the Network of the National Library of Medicine's Expert Speaker Award. The speakers included faculty from our university's Schools of Design and Public Health, and a librarian with expertise in data visualization from outside our university. The talks covered infographics and health equity; design principles; and using common software to create infographics. The event was open to students, faculty, staff, and the public. We publicized the symposium through listservs, the library's regular communication channels, and the network of community organizations established through university researchers. The symposium was recorded for those unable to attend. 

CONCLUSION: 200 people registered, nearly 100 attended, and over 100 viewed the recording. We had an overwhelmingly positive response to this event despite a compressed timeline for publicity and promotion, demonstrating a strong interest in this topic across diverse audiences. The library served as the ideal virtual gathering place for this interdisciplinary event.

Free Printable Posters and Resources Related to Covid-19 for Libraries and their Patrons

COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation.  The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) have compiled a list of free printable posters and resources for social media related to the COVID-19 pandemic.    Sources include: NIH National Institutes of Metal Health CDC OSHA SAMHSA See the listing of resources.

Contact Tracing is the Key to Reopening America - But how does it actually work?

Contact tracing is key to reopening America. But how does it actually work? (Wednesday, April 29)
States across the country are laying the groundwork to launch massive contact tracing efforts to identify people who may have contracted the new coronavirus. Some public health experts say the efforts are crucial to relaxing social distancing measures intended to curb America's Covid-19 epidemic. But how does it work?