Purpose: This poster describes the development and impact of a library and bariatric surgery partnership to provide and promote reliable consumer health books to bariatric surgery patients.

Setting/Participants/Resources:  Advocate Aurora Health Library Network collaborated with the bariatric surgery program at Aurora Medical Center Grafton (AMCG) to promote print books on bariatric surgery located at the AMCG resource center library.

Description: In May 2018 the AMCG librarian and the physician assistant (PA) for the hospital’s bariatric surgeon discussed library services for patients and a potential partnership. Existing library consumer health books on bariatric surgery were reviewed and additional titles identified by the librarian for purchase. A recommended reading list was created and printed in the bariatric surgery patient newsletter, and the librarian attended a support group meeting to promote the books. The librarian also created a flyer with library information and recommended books available at the AMCG library. The PA provides this flyer to all AMCG bariatric patients. In June 2019 an updated reading list with library information was added to a pre-op booklet provided to the surgeon’s patients.

Results/Outcome/Evaluation: Patient visits to the library were sporadic at first, and there were a total of 8 book checkouts in 2018. However, since April 2019 there have been monthly patient visits and 16 book checkouts. As a result, the library is purchasing additional books to meet demand. Based on the success of the AMCG partnership, the Aurora Sinai Medical Center Hurwitz library is looking to start their own partnership with bariatric surgery.