Librarians, Balloons and MedlinePlus
Anna Ercoli Schnitzer
InfoPoint Librarian
Health Sciences Libraries
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Health Fair for Michigan’s Uninsured Children
On April 29, 2008, the Washtenaw County (Michigan) Department of Health and Human Services highlighted the need for health insurance for all children by holding a free Children’s Health and Enrollment Fair at the Towner Health and Human Services Complex in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The University of Michigan Health Sciences Libraries were represented along with Blue Care Network; Engage Project (volunteering for clinical studies at the University of Michigan Health System); Women, Infants and Children (WIC); and various relevant nutrition and parenting groups.
Anna Ercoli Schnitzer, InfoPoint Librarian at U of M Health Science Libraries, organized the Health Sciences Libraries table and Nancy Karp, librarian emerita from the UM Business Library, assisted. About 40 parents and accompanying children were introduced to MedlinePlus® and given pens with the database URL: http://medlineplus.gov.
In addition to the serious business of registering children for health care and performing health screening, fun activities for the children were also provided at the Fair. Attendees could have their faces painted and received door prizes and balloons.
