Dr. Noah Lenstra’s Let’s Move in Libraries initiative leverages libraries as important resources for healthy communities, nationwide and around the globe. The Let’s Move in Libraries Project receives its inspiration from former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, which from 2010 to 2017 focused on increasing physical activity and healthy living among Americans.
What is the project’s goal?
The goal of Let’s Move in Libraries is expanding from increasing physical activity to a broader goal of healthy eating and active living for communities nationwide and around the world.
What is the innovation?
By leveraging libraries as community hubs and harnessing online networks, maps, and webinars for peer-to-peer sharing of program ideas, successes and struggles, Let’s Move in Libraries is revolutionizing the power of libraries to truly serve and enrich their communities.
What has been the impact?
- Let’s Move in Libraries has forged partnerships between libraries and local hospitals and health systems in a number of states.
- These partnerships include programs that support children’s physical activity and literacy, patients’ access to healthcare information, blood pressure checks, medical tests, and classes taught by medical experts.
- With their impressive reach and great potential for impact, and with inspiration from Let’s Move in Libraries, public libraries can and do impact health through StoryWalks®, Yoga classes, gardens, the circulation of fitness equipment, and more.
- This project is growing! Since 2016, the number of librarians and library supporters engaged has grown to more than 5,700 social media followers, more than 2,600 monthly newsletter subscribers and over 21,000 unique visitors to the project’s website, 15% of whom are coming from outside of the United States.
- Dr. Lenstra has also been invited to give presentations on the project to the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, and numerous state and regional library associations.
- The project led to Dr. Lenstra’s participation in a federally-funded (U.S. Institute of Museum & Library Services) half-million-dollar research project focused on understanding how small and rural libraries support healthy communities through programs and partnerships (LG-18-19-0015-19).
