by Jill McConnell

The Allegheny County Library Association’s One Book One Community selection for 2015, Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink, has generated numerous conversations, programs and workshops about medical ethics in libraries across Allegheny County.

Conversations began with discussions about the book at various libraries throughout the county. Seven different public libraries will host a program for patrons featuring local medical ethics experts who will share information and answer questions about medical ethics training and implementation in hospitals and during emergencies.  The presentation will also include end-of-life directive options and how patients can effectively express medical care wishes. A partnership with Allegheny County Health Department’s Live Well Allegheny initiative will give library staff the opportunity to attend an all-day emergency preparedness workshop. The goal of the workshop is to help produce a standard of quality and reliability regarding the information that Allegheny County libraries and their staff have with regard to emergency preparedness for both libraries and for the residents they serve.

It’s great to see an entire county’s libraries coming together and participating in this health literacy movement for both their patrons and their staff.