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The opioid crisis which has crashed through American communities has brought patrons to public libraries seeking information about opioids and addiction. This collection of resources can help you connect patrons to the information that they need to support themselves or a loved one. Library staff are also encouraged to check out the recording of our September 2017 Opioid Crisis Town Hall where libraries, community partners and national organizations shared their experiences with the opioid epidemic, how it was impacting their communities and their responses.

You can copy the information on this page to repurpose for your library's website or resource list.  Provided by Webjunction.org

Resource guides - some libraries have responded by creating online guides to help patrons seeking information:

• Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (NY): Opioid Epidemic, subject guide
• Kanawha County Public Library (WV): The Opioid Crisis: Resources & Information
• Seattle Public Library (WA): Opioid Epidemic, topic guide
• Maryland State Library Resource Center: Opioid Epidemic Resources
• Westport Library (CT): Opioid Addiction LibGuide
• New York Public Library: Substance Abuse: A Resource Guide for Young Adults

Programming - hosting public forums, discussions or training is another way that libraries are supporting the community around the opioid addiction. Examples range from events that are planned and hosted by a library, to those which depend on library space to house the event.

• Opioid Crisis: a Community Discussion at Gates Public Library (NY)
• Free Public Narcan Training at Everett Public Library (WA)
• Ashland community begins opioid dialogue (OH)
• Reading Public Library to Present Opioid Crisis Event (PA)
• Sam Quinones: Author and National Geographic Journalist Discusses the Opioid Epidemic, Cleveland Public Library (OH)
• The Opioid Crisis: A Nashville Community Discussion (TN)

Books - consider adding these to your collection:

Young Adult

• Greek, Joe. Coping with Opioid Abuse. New York: Rosen YA, 2018.
• Various. Opioids and Opiates: the Silent Epidemic. Broomall, PA : Mason Crest, 2018
• Also see this bibliography on substance abuse compiled by the New York Public Library.

Adult

• Hari, Joann. Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs. London: Bloomsbury Circus, 2015.
• Lembke, Anna and Callie Beaulieu. Drug Dealer, MD: How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016.
• Quinones, Sam. Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Press, 2015.
• Temple, John. American pain: how a young felon and his ring of doctors unleased America’s deadliest drug epidemic. Guilford, Connecticut: Lyons Press, 2015.

Handouts and flyers - these printable handouts and resources for patrons can be shared by or in the library:

• Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Opioid Abuse and Addiction – Medline Plus
• DrugPubs – National Institute on Drug Abuse

Also check with your local and state health departments to discover what resources they may be able to share. Most of these resources were shared by members in the Facebook group, in the Facebook group, Libraries and the Opioid Crisis. We’ll be sharing other collections and lists as they surface.

Image credits:
Top: "Opioids" by K-State Research and Extension is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Bottom: Dreamland bookcover is copyright Bloomsburg Press, 2015