DES MOINES, Iowa — The Perry Public Library will share in a $50,000 grant the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has received from the Telligen Community Initiative (TCI) to fund an innovative program that offers public health tools, resources and programs through targeted public libraries.
The project, called “Harnessing the Power of Iowa’s Libraries,” will be piloted in Perry and Cedar Rapids. For the pilot, the Perry Public Library with work with the Dallas County Public Health Department and the Cedar Rapids Public Library with be assisted by the Linn County Public Health Department.
West Des Moines-based Telligen Inc. is a health management company.
“Because public libraries and local public health agencies are at the heart of Iowa’s communities, they are well positioned to be partners in addressing health equity, helping all people to have the opportunity to attain their highest possible level of health,” according to an IDPH statement issued Friday.
Each library will tailor its public health offerings based on data collected by its county health department in the Community Health Needs Assessment and Health Improvement Planning (CHNA and HIP). Many libraries already understand the importance of healthy lifestyles. The Cedar Rapids Public Library, for example, has installed walking treadmill desks, and the Perry Public Library has a bicycle-sharing program.
The TCI funding will allow each library to build on its existing health promotion efforts and expand its offerings in partnership with the local public health agency.
The one-year project will develop a toolkit, including best practices, success stories and strategies for growth, that will serve as a model for similar projects. The IDPH is seeking additional funding with a view to expanding the initiative.
The IDPH project was one of 18 grants selected for TCI’s 2019 Iowa and Illinois-based funding cycle, which awarded a total of $804,312 in grants to nonprofit organizations. For more information about TCI, visit the Telligen Inc. website.
