December 21, 2011
The Stanford Hospital Health Library opened its newest branch in East Palo Alto's Ravenswood Family Health Center, offering free access to the library's nationally recognized, multilingual and multimedia health information collection.
"This is a project we have wanted for many years," said Nora Cain, the library director. "This is an opportunity to reach an underserved community and provide access to the best and most complete information available."
The branch library is just over 250 square feet, but its patrons are able to use the library's full collection, which includes 8,000 cataloged books, 700 health-related videos, a database of nearly 400 medical journals, thousands of articles from general-interest publications and e-books. The librarian can also prepare information packets customized to each patron's needs. In addition, the bilingual medical librarian at the library is collaborating with Ravenswood clinic physicians to create multicultural programs, classes and lectures for the community's specific needs, including materials in Spanish and Tongan. All of the library's services are free.
The Ravenswood Family Health Center, which serves an average of 10,000 people a year in East Palo Alto, East Menlo Park and Redwood City's North Fair Oaks neighborhood, offers primary medical and preventive health care services to underserved families, regardless of their ability to pay.
"When we decided to build a Center for Health Promotion, I knew it was the opportunity to invite the Stanford Hospital Health Library to join us," said Luisa Buada, CEO of Ravenswood Family Health Center. "Our two organizations create access to health resources for patients and residents of the community.
The Health Library's Ravenswood branch is located at 1807 Bay Road in East Palo Alto. For more information about the Stanford Hospital Health Library, please visit healthlibrary.stanford.edu. For directions or more information about Ravenswood Family Health Center, please visit ravenswoodfhc.org.
About Stanford Medicine
Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.
