In my course Ethical Decision-Making and Information practices, I have been researching the question “Should Libraries Act as Public Health Initiative sites?” through examining the cases of libraries acting as drug-overdose prevention sites in response to the opioid epidemic and fitness tracking initiatives in response to the so-called obesity epidemic. In this piece, I am addressing future cases where libraries may be asked to act as public health initiatives site.

Libraries will continue to face the ethical dilemma of whether they should repurpose staff and skillsets, budget, and facilities to address public health initiatives in the future. The most pressing example will likely revolve around COVID-19.  

However, neither the so-called obesity crisis nor the opioid epidemic is likely to disappear. In August this year, Newsweek reported that reported that from May-July of 2020, overdose deaths increased fifteen percent. At the same time, research funds allocated to combating addiction have been reallocated to COVID-19 research.  

The CDC stated that obesity increases individual’s risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19. Because of this relationship between weight and severity of illness Sanchis-Gomar, et al. (2020) argued that “maintaining body weight and remaining fit represent a crucial goal for possible future pandemics.” CNN reported that because a COVID-19 vaccine may not work effectively in obese people the United States’ overall ability to recover from the pandemic may be hampered. These news reports suggest that the stigma around obesity will continue post-pandemic as will efforts to induce individuals to exercise for weight loss.  

As early as March 27, 2020, LaPierre (2020) posted about the role of vocational awe in pushing libraries to continue to provide services to patrons during the pandemic. By July 2020, several news organizations were reporting on libraries distributing masks as a public service in Louisiana, Florida, and West Virginia.  

In October 2020, NPR reported that states are struggling to plan the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Plans will need to include “mass vaccination clinics”. As of today, LA County Library is continuing their partnership with LA County Department of Public Health to distribution free flu shots to patrons. Given libraries ongoing role in responding to COVID-19, the current capacity of some libraries to host vaccination clinics, and states’ need to plan for distributing the COVID-19 vaccination, libraries can anticipate state governments asking them to act as vaccination sites.  

As with preventing overdose deaths through acting as drug-overdoes prevention sites, there is no doubt that there is great societal benefit to libraries accommodating government requests to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. There may even be a Kantian duty to act as a distribution center. However, libraries should be cautious about immediately signing up to act as distribution centers for the vaccination.  

Libraries could analyze potential privacy concerns of patrons regarding receiving the vaccination at the library, including considering the data management and retention practices of state run immunization databases as a well as any third parties who might be privy to patron/patient data. Libraries could analyze the political trends that have influenced vaccine development and its plan for distribution, such as the response to who will receive the vaccine first. Libraries might also take a front-line role on vaccination skepticism through analyzing the political and historical reasons why various populations might be skeptical of medical intervention in their communities. Ethics of care and design justice praxis could be used to gain additional insights into community attitudes towards vaccination and potential barriers. Libraries could continue to strengthen community partnerships and forge new partnerships. Finally, libraries should be prepared to address the role librarians have played throughout the pandemic, which sometimes include putting their own health on the line through returning to work in its earliest days.