Research & Instruction Librarian San Diego State University
In 2021 the San Diego State University Library received $1,500 in the Collection Equity and Outreach Award from the Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 5, to promote diversity and inclusion in health literature. During the 2021-2022 academic year we purchased 54 books addressing health related topics affecting underrepresented groups. In Fall 2022, we created an interactive display in the research services area of the library to promote these additions to our collection. Along with featuring some of the books purchased with the grant, we included a writing prompt and sticky notes. The writing prompt was simple: Let’s Talk Health Equity. We also displayed additional information about the grant, goals, and questions to encourage further reflection on health equity. After taking down the display, we reviewed and recorded the comments shared on sticky notes. We were fascinated by the students’ willingness to share their thoughts about health. This poster shares what we learned about students’ perspectives on health from their interactions with the display. We identified several recurring themes of health concerns faced by our students. The comments shared through the display highlighted the diverse ways that our students conceptualize health. Yet, they also demonstrated the need in our community for further promotion of the detrimental effects of the lack of diversity in health education. Lessons learned from this project will inform future activities to expand the representation of diverse voices and perspectives in our health literature.