Speaking Volumes | Check up on health at your library

By Fran Barba

Special to the Herald

If you are a regular library user you probably already know that the library is your "go-to" place to find materials on health related and medical subjects. Information on general health, diseases, diet, medicine and drugs, physical fitness and exercise, and much more may be found in circulating nonfiction, reference books, DVDs, eBooks and eAudiobooks, and other formats.

But there are additional resources that you may not know about that are also available. Many full-text magazines and journal articles, articles from reference books and much more in the health and medicine fields are available on Manatee County Public Library System electronic databases.

These databases may be accessed on the library's website (mymanatee.org/library) either in a Manatee County public library (no library card needed) or remotely with your library card barcode and four-digit PIN. Click the "Research & Learning" tab, and then click "Databases" and then "Health & Medicine."

The "Health & Wellness Resource Center" database has reference material, magazines and journal articles, and pamphlets from a wide variety of authoritative medical sourc

es. It includes directories, a medical dictionary, information on drugs and herbs, health assessment tools, and more.

The "Consumer Health Complete" database provides content covering all key areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated medicine. You may search evidence-based reports, more than 170 reference books and encyclopedias, a medical dictionary, fact sheets and brochures, magazine and journal articles, medical images, and videos and animations.

More specialized medical databases are also available for nursing and allied health students (the "Health Reference Center Academic" and "Nursing and Allied Health Collection" databases) and for physical therapists and sports medicine professionals (the "Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Collection").

The "LearningExpress Library" database includes health occupations practice entrance tests and occupation exams for nursing as well as for assistants and technicians in the fields of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, radiology, surgery, veterinary medicine, emergency medical services, etc.

Find links to recommended "Health and Medical" websites by accessing the library's website. Click on the "Research & Learning" tab, click on "Recommended Websites", and then scroll down to "Health and Medical."

In addition to print and electronic resources, there are a variety of medical, health and wellness programs offered at the library's six locations. Find these programs on the library's website by clicking on the "Events & Calendar" tab. Click on the link to access the Library System's "Calendar of Events" (a print version is also available). An upcoming program at the Central Library is "Learn Easy Vegan Latin Meals" with Dr. Evelisse Capo with a live demonstration from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 9. This program is funded through the "Latino Americans 500 Years of History Grant Program." Other health-related January events at the branches include programs on Alzheimer's, meditation and yoga.

Speaking Volumes, written by Manatee County Public Library System staff members, is published each Sunday. You may also access the library via the Internet: www.mymanatee.org/library. Fran Barba is a reference librarian at the Central Library.

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Speaking Volumes | Check up on health at your library ."