Over two million people in the US are estimated to be dependent on prescription opioids or heroin. A sharp rise in drug overdoses has made it the leading cause of death among Americans under 50. This epidemic is happening in all regions of the country, in communities of all sizes, without discrimination for age, ethnicity, or income. As library staff see this crisis impacting their own communities, their urgent question arises: How do we respond?

Join us for a virtual town hall, where representatives from libraries and other community organizations will describe their local efforts and who they’re collaborating with. We also want to hear from you: We’ll ask audience participants to describe the informational, structural, financial and emotional support that library staff and community members need to withstand and address this alarming epidemic. The insights gleaned from this town hall will be shared to inform plans for future efforts.

This event is jointly organized by WebJunction and Public Library Association.

On Twitter: #libsopioidtownhall

Panelist include:

• Vanessa Christman, Assistant Director at the Santa Barbara Public Library, most recently County Librarian/Director of Library Services, Humboldt County (CA)
• Kim Fender, Director, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (OH)
• Rachel Fewell, Central Library Administrator, Denver Public Library (CO)
• Shawn Cunningham, Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives, Multnomah County Library (OR)
• Hadi Sedigh, Associate Legislative Director for Justice & Public Safety, National Association of Counties, and liaison to the National City-County Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic
• Dana Murguía, Senior Program Manager, Public Health, Healthy Communities, Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (CA)

Access Recording

• View Town Hall Recording (WebEx)
• View Town Hall Recording (To receive a certificate for viewing the recording, you will be prompted to log in to our free Course Catalog.)

Town Hall Attachments

• View slides (pdf)
  
• View chat (xls)
• View captions (txt)

Related Resources and Links

• See Opioid Crisis Town Hall Summary article and participant survey summary, Reflections on Opioid Crisis Town Hall
  
• Opioid Crisis: Libraries, Resources, Context and Data (We'll keep adding suggested resources and news here)
  
• New Facebook group, Libraries and the Opioid Crisis
• Resources on Libraries and Homelessness
• About Denver Public Library's Peer Navigators and Social Workers
• Shared in Chat (and added to this page: Opioid Crisis: Libraries, Resources, Context and Data)
  
  • Legal Interventions to Reduce Overdose Mortality, Network for Public Health Law
  • Seven Days of Heroin: This is what an epidemic looks like, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/10/17
  • DontDie.org, from Baltimore City Health Department
  • NARCAN® Now, smartphone app Android, Apple iOS
  • Dreamland : the true tale of America's opiate epidemic, by Sam Quinones
  • Center for Harm Reduction Therapy in the San Franciso Bay Area http://harmreductiontherapy.org
  • Denver's Harm Reduction Action center http://harmreductionactioncenter.org
  • The Office of Minority Health Resource Center (HHS/OMHRC)
    
    • has an online digital collection on health issues for minority populations. You can see this list of new materials on opioid use, as it relates to minority groups here http://bit.ly/2f3G3dl
    • Office of Minority Health Resource Center Knowledge Center
    • Librarians and patrons can call the Office of Minority Health Resource Center at 800-444-6742 to get free resources and consumer publications on this topic that are culturally appropriate for racial and ethnic populations, or email KnowledgeCenter@minorityhealth.hhs.gov
  • Many counties, cities and local agencies are eligible for Naloxone bulk purchasing agreements through U.S. Communities - http://www.uscommunities.org/suppliers/premier-medical
  • The First Count of Fentanyl Deaths in 2016: Up 540% in Three Years, New York Times, 9/2/17
  • ACMT and AACT Position Statement: Preventing Occupational Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analog Exposure to Emergency Responder (pdf), July 17
    
  • Guidance statement regarding Personal Protective Equipment for Emergency Medical Services and Health Care Workers dealing with overdose victims (pdf), British Columbia Ministry of Health, January 2017
  • Fentanyl: Preventing Occupational Exposure to Emergency Responders, CDC and Fentanyl information on MedlinePlus, CDC and Fentanyl for First Responders
  • A Prescription for Action: Local Leadership in Ending the Opioid Crisis, joint report from National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National League of Cities (NLC)
  • The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA/HHS) Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit (pdf)
  • Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, cadca.org
  • "Libraries and health care providers top the list of the most trusted sources that were queried." How People Approach Facts and Information, Pew Research Center, 9/11/17
  • Recovering from Addiction: Routes to Recovery Booklet and App, Clinton Essex Franklin Library System LibGuide
  • National Library of Medicine Opiate Addiction and Treatment
  • local resource for Southeastern Massachusetts: http://ebhopes.net/
  • BC, Canada - towardtheheart.com