Let’s Talk Health Equity: Engaging students in discourse through an interactive book display

In 2021 the San Diego State University Library received $1,500 in the Collection Equity and Outreach Award from the Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 5 to promote diversity and inclusion in health literature. Over the 2021-2022 academic year we purchased 54 books addressing health related topics affecting underrepresented groups. In Fall 2022 we created an interactive display in the research services area of the library to promote these additions to our collection.

Along with featuring some of the books purchased with the grant, we included a writing prompt and sticky notes. The writing prompt was simple: Let’s Talk Health Equity.  We also included a poster with additional information about the grant, goals, and questions to encourage further reflection on the topic.

We received 72 comments via sticky notes over the course of one month at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester.  After taking down the display we reviewed the comments and sorted them into categories. From these categories we came up with 13 separate themes. Below is a list of the comments we received sorted by category. 

Students have their own way of communicating about health, often using slang, jokes, and pop culture references. The following are words and references that we had to Google. 

• Plandle -  a mix between the words “plastic” and “handle” to describe cheap alcohol that comes in a plastic container with a handle 

• TFGH [Multiple possibilities] - one possible definition, Task Force for Global Health 

• Rizz - charisma

• Deesh - plural for douche 

• Gal 4:28