New York Libraries Save Lives
In 2016, Education Law §922, Opioid overdose prevention, was updated to include New York's public libraries as eligible participants in the state's opioid overdose prevention program. By partnering with a New York State Department of Health Registered Opioid Overdose Prevention Program, library facilities are empowered to administer opioid antagonists (Naloxone). As part of a coordinated statewide effort, the New York State Library, the State Education Department, the State Department of Health, the New York Library Association, the Public Library System Directors Organization, and the Harm Reduction Coalition collaborated to create Guidance for Implementing Opioid Overdose Prevention Measures in Public Libraries to help all New York State libraries implement their own opioid overdose prevention programs.
Resources for Librarians
- Opioid Crisis: Libraries, Resources, Context and Data from WebJunction is a compilation of data and resources to empower public libraries to combat the opioid crisis in their communities.
- Opioid Overdose Prevention Program Policy and Procedure Template is a downloadable guide for library staff and boards of trustees to develop their own policies and procedures for opioid overdose prevention programs.
Drug Abuse and Addiction Prevention
- Opioid and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) (MedlinePlus)
- New York Statewide Opioid Overdose Prevention Program (NYS Department of Health)
- Understanding Drug Overdoses and Deaths (archived from the CDC in 2024)
Impact and Data
- Opioid-related Data in New York State (NYS Department of Health)
- Opioid and Health Indicators Database provided by amfAR
- Public Libraries Respond to the Opioid Crisis with Their Communities, a report supported by OCLC and the Public Library Association with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).