Survey of public library use in the Ambulatory Clinic in the Children’s Hospital Winnipeg

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies highlight synergies for families receiving early childhood literacy support from their health care provider and public library, with more reading at home and higher quality book-sharing interactions. Our primary objective was to determine the percentage of Children’s Hospital Winnipeg Ambulatory Clinic’s patients who had ever used a public library. The clinic has a longstanding early-childhood literacy program and serves remote communities and low-income Winnipeg families. METHODS: A structured survey was administered to parents or legal guardians by the first author. It explored library barriers and covariates that might affect library use. Analysis included descriptive statistics and a logistic regression model for predictors of library use. RESULTS: Ninety-seven nearly consecutive surveys were administered, half prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most respondents were female, from Winnipeg, and in the two lowest neighbourhood income quintiles. Roughly half (46.4%) of children had used a library. Most respondents wanted health care providers to promote literacy and provide information about public libraries, and more supported in-clinic distribution of books. The number of children per household positively predicted library use, possibly a proxy for experience with community resources. About 2/3 of respondents believed that library fines should be abolished. Most identified other barriers, for example, inconvenient hours, distance, or concerns about COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Less than half of surveyed families used public libraries, citing multiple barriers, including fines. Moreover, not all health care providers can offer new books and anticipatory guidance. Clinics that promote use of public libraries may therefore represent a low-cost, stand-alone alternative.