Audience: General public, family members, civic leaders, educators.
Purpose: Help the community understand addiction as a treatable health condition; reduce stigma; guide patrons to trustworthy books, media, and databases.
What you’ll find in this collection:
- Plain‑language explainers on substance use disorder (SUD) and recovery
- Lived‑experience memoirs and anthologies
- Evidence‑based overviews from public health and medical sources
- Materials on harm reduction, treatment modalities, and recovery pathways (12‑Step, SMART, Recovery Dharma, medication‑assisted treatment, etc.)
- Materials addressing co‑occurring mental health conditions
Suggested subject headings & search tips
Dewey: 362.29 (Substance abuse), 613.8 (Personal health), 616.86 (Mental & behavioral disorders)
LCSH/Keywords: Substance abuse—Treatment; Opioid abuse; Alcoholism—Recovery; Harm reduction; Medication‑assisted treatment; Overdose prevention; Families of substance abusers; Dual diagnosis; Stigma (Social psychology)
Discovery tips: Offer a one‑click search like “Addiction & Recovery (Nonfiction)” and a second for “Personal Stories & Memoirs”. Add a book river widget to your webpage to surface new titles.
Example starter titles to seed the shelf:
- The Language of Recovery (anthology on stigma & person‑first language)
- Dopesick — Beth Macy (opioids, policy, community impact)
- Unbroken Brain — Maia Szalavitz (neuroscience & policy)
- Dreamland — Sam Quinones (supply chain & communities)
- Never Enough — Judith Grisel (neuroscientist’s view)
- In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts — Gabor Maté (trauma‑informed lens)
- The Addict’s Mom (anthology; families)
- Recovery Allies — Alison Jones Webb (how communities can help)
Tip: Pair books with credible media (PBS/Frontline documentaries), and short brochures from SAMHSA and your state behavioral‑health department.
Collection practices that build trust
- Shelving & signage: Use neutral, non‑stigmatizing language (e.g., Recovery & Wellness). Consider a display that faces inward, not the front door.
- Formats: Offer large print, audiobooks, and eBooks. For eBooks, add a privacy note about vendor data practices.
- No‑barrier access: Add a small “no‑return” or free‑to‑keep sub‑collection for core recovery texts that frequently go missing (see examples below).
- Community voices: Invite local recovery groups to suggest titles each September (National Recovery Month).
Find help
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988; chat at https://988lifeline.org/
- SAMHSA National Helpline: 1‑800‑662‑HELP (4357), 24/7 — https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines
- FindTreatment.gov: Search treatment options — https://findtreatment.gov/