At Michigan State University (MSU), the health of our students is important. College brings up many issues for students such as depression, anxiety and more. According to a subset of results for MSU from the 2014 National College Health Assessment, 84% of students reported feeling overwhelmed at least once in the last year and 28% reported it affected their academic performance. These statistics are on par with national averages. Although many campuses have accessible health services, they are not used to their full potential. One study shows that of students who are diagnosed with depression, only 24% are actively receiving treatment. Presumably, many students are trying to cope with these health issues on their own.
We decided to start a pilot program establishing a small consumer health book collection aimed at issues students are facing. We have found reports of child- or adult-focused consumer health collections but few devoted to college students. We hope to reach students with health information that may go into more depth than they are able to find online. We are placing the books in our browsing collection which is a high profile location and includes popular works of fiction and non-fiction.
To help with choosing materials in subjects of high need, we collaborated with several organizations across the campus, including the health center, the Student Health Advisory Council, and local health education experts. Through this we can position the library as a partner in the wellbeing of our students.
