Digital Pathways: Online Health Literacy Programming for Adults FAQs

If your question is not listed below, please email ALA's Public Programs Office.

Q: When will the Digital Pathways programming toolkit be made publicly available?

A: We anticipate the toolkit will be published on the project site in February 2026.

Q: What will the evaluation requirements be for grantees?

A: Every grantee will be required to complete an online final report. In addition to completing a final report, each selected library will work with Knology, the external project evaluator, to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the programming guide. Knology will host focus groups with project directors from the grantee libraries, and the discussion will also cover the libraries’ experience running health-related programs and how library patrons received those programs. Knology will also develop a brief survey for libraries to distribute to patrons attending health-related programs. Grantees will have access to all reporting tools prior to the start of the programming period.

Q: What are examples of programs might grantees use the program stipend toward?

A: The programming stipend is intended to allow each library to make purchases they determine will best enhance their telehealth programming and benefit program participants. Examples include investing in tech devices and services to enhance their telehealth programs—such as creating a lending library of laptops and/or hotspots for patrons who are unable to physically visit the library. Other selected libraries may use the funds to create a dedicated telehealth space within the library. To do so, the additional stipend funds could be used to soundproof the space for patron privacy or equip a room with a WiFi-enabled laptop, webcam, and vital signs monitoring tools (such as a scale, blood pressure monitor, thermometer, and pulse oximeter). Libraries able to raise additional funds— and with the necessary amount of space in the library—could invest in a basic Telemedicine kiosk.

Here is a sample of library programming ideas, taken from the in-progress toolkit:

• Telehealth Open Hours: Establish dedicated periods during which patrons can reserve or spontaneously use private library telehealth booths or kiosks. These spaces offer essential resources such as high-speed internet, video conferencing tools, and private accommodations for secure telehealth consultations.
• Digital Literacy for Health Access Workshops: Offer structured classes teaching patrons how to use essential health-related digital platforms and tools such as Zoom for virtual appointments, MyChart and other patient portals for medical records, and wearable health technology devices such as fitness trackers and heart monitors.
• Spotting Health Misinformation Online: Organize interactive workshops aimed at empowering adults to critically assess and evaluate the credibility of health information encountered online, helping participants distinguish reliable sources from misinformation or misleading health claims.
• Navigating Benefits Portals: Provide detailed tutorial sessions guiding patrons through benefits platforms such as Medicaid, Medicare, or Affordable Care Act (ACA) sign-up processes. Tutorials emphasize online form submissions, required documentation, and troubleshooting common technical issues.
• Library-Based Care Navigation: Implement personalized support services through scheduled one-on-one or small-group sessions with trained digital navigators. These navigators assist patrons with tasks such as scheduling online health appointments, enrolling in insurance, and overcoming technological barriers related to health care access.
• Mobile Health Library Outreach: Use bookmobiles or specially equipped mobile units to extend health-related services beyond library walls. These units provide Wi-Fi hotspots, loanable devices, informational materials, and support from digital health navigators, directly reaching underserved or geographically isolated patrons (Wicklund, 2025).
• Telehealth Technology Try-It Events: Conduct accessible community events allowing patrons to gain hands-on experience with telehealth technologies such as kiosks, tablets equipped with health apps, or advanced devices such as TytoCare kits, under the supportive guidance of library staff.
• Library + Health Provider Drop-Ins: Collaborate with local healthcare providers to host informal drop-in sessions at the library, allowing patrons to interact directly with healthcare professionals. These events address technology-related questions, concerns about telehealth use, and provide live demonstrations of telehealth platforms.
• Multilingual Digital Health Literacy Series: Develop an inclusive, culturally responsive series of workshops conducted in multiple languages to accommodate diverse community needs. These sessions teach practical digital skills related to accessing online health information and using telehealth services.
• Digital Storytelling for Health Empowerment: Facilitate community-building programs in which patrons record and share personal narratives about their experiences with online health tools and telehealth interactions. These stories foster collective knowledge, confidence, and resilience regarding online health literacy.
• Health Access Pop-Ups at Cultural Events: Partner with culturally trusted community spaces such as local church halls, food pantries, and farmers’ markets to establish temporary outreach booths. These pop-ups offer convenient health navigation assistance, digital literacy support, and telehealth service enrollment.
• Virtual Waiting Room Orientation: Create engaging orientation materials, including instructional videos or short training sessions, to prepare patrons for telehealth visits. These resources cover topics such as virtual appointment etiquette, expectations, privacy considerations, and basic navigation of telehealth platforms.

Q: How will pilot program libraries be described in the UHC’s white label Findhelp or UniteUs resource tool (used to facilitate identification of programming for UHC member services to refer local members to program engagement at the library)?

A: Within the resource tool, the selected pilot libraries will work with UHC staff to create a program entry describing the programming being offered through the pilot and will be displayed in searches pertaining to the local geographic coverage area of the library. Requested details will include hours of operation, location, contact information, any eligibility criteria, and a brief description of library programming. Details within the description can be modified over the course of the pilot, if necessary. For examples of program cards, visit www.findhelp.org and search “library services” for examples.