Did you know?

The library's collection of electronic databases contain a number of health and wellness resources that may have the answer to your health questions. Need information on your doctor's recent diagnosis? Our Health and Wellness Resource Center may have a concise overview to give you the basic information that you need. Want to understand the side effects of your latest prescription? You can do a quick search in Health Reference Center Academic and get a handful of articles. These are just two of a myriad of resources available from your library for free. Want to find out more on how to use what we've got for you?
Sign up for one of our two Health Info Resources classes being taught this month. This class is available this Wednesday at 12:30, as well as at 6:00 on the 29th. This class will be repeated in April and May, we think it is that important. So sign up for an hour that will help you know more about managing your health by contacting the library.
Think...more free computer resources.

You Ask, We Answer

Here's another topic on your minds. Do you have a question about the library? Comment here, or fill out a yellow comment form the next time you're in the building!

Flu Season Care

The library is a public place where people can share books, movies, music, information - and germs. We've had some questions from folks about what we do to keep the place healthy.

In public areas: We wipe down all our keyboards and common surfaces on a regular basis. This takes a while, but it's very important in maintaining the health of our community. And, of course, we always have hand soap available in our restrooms. We encourage all our visitors to take the commonly recommended precautions including washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, sneezing into your sleeve, and avoiding touching your face.

In children's activities: We spoke with the Missoula County Heath Department regarding the plush toys we traditionally offered in Tiny Tales events. The flu virus can remain on cloth for six hours, so we decided to not offer the toys in Tiny Tales until the flu season is over.

You can get information on H1N1 and Missoula's flu season from Missoula County Health Services or by calling the flu hotline at 258-4636. Have a happy, healthy winter!

Medicare Basics Videos Now Available on NIHSeniorHealth

If you’re caring for an older family member or friend, or if you’re getting on in years yourself, you’ve probably had questions about Medicare, the Federal health insurance program for adults 65 and older and people under age 65 with disabilities. NIHSeniorHealth.gov, the health and wellness website for older adults, has recently added seven short videos about Medicare coverage to its Medicare Basics for Caregivers topic.
The videos explain Medicare basics in simple terms and will interest caregivers and Medicare recipients alike. Topics include eligibility, enrollment, costs, and the different types of coverage available to Medicare recipients.
To watch the Medicare videos, visit NIHSeniorHealth at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/videolist.html#medicare
To read about Medicare basics, visit NIHSeniorHealth at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/medicare/toc.html
For more health and wellness information for older adults, go to www.nihseniorhealth.gov.

NIHSeniorHealth.gov is a senior-friendly website from the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine, both parts of the National Institutes of Health.

H1N1 Flu update information

If you are concerned about the possible flu outbreak spend some time getting up-to-date and reliable information at http://www.ebscohost.com/flu/. There you will find information (in many languages) about seasonal flu as well as those special flu bugs. Look there also for information on flu shots and an excellent question and answer page.
This is being made available by the same folks that offer our Auto Repair and Small Engine databases, Ebsco.

What the Health Fair?

We hosted a city wide health fair today in our Large Meeting Room. Over 20 organizations came to offer services ranging from bone density screenings to nutrition information. The fair was the cap to our week of health related programming aimed specifically at baby boomers. If you missed any of the programs or the health fair, be sure to click here for a sort of "electronic health fair" representing most (if not all) of the topics discussed at our programs and fair, along with some things that weren't touched on.



My favorite part was the snacks. I don't think of myself as a particularly healthy eater, but my afternoon snack often consists of either string cheese or pretzels so I must be doing something right.