This document contains three ready-to-use sections you can use on your website or print as handouts. Each section centers the library collection while pointing to help and next steps. Feel free to adapt wording and add your local resources.
For the Community: Understanding Addiction
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/
For People Ready to Change: Recovery & Self-Directed Help
Audience: Adults exploring change, in any stage (pre‑contemplation to maintenance), and their supporters.
Purpose: Provide low‑barrier access to practical “how‑to change” materials across recovery pathways, including harm reduction.
What you’ll find in this collection:
- Step‑by‑step guides for quitting, cutting back, or using more safely
- Daily readers/meditation books and workbooks
- Pathway‑specific materials: AA/NA, SMART Recovery, Recovery Dharma, Women for Sobriety, Moderation Management
- Guidance on medications for opioid & alcohol use disorder (MOUD/MAT)
- Tools for relapse prevention and supporting loved ones
Example starter titles & tools:
- Core texts: Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book); Narcotics Anonymous; SMART Recovery Handbook; Recovery Dharma; Living Sober
- Change & skills: The Beck Diet Solution‑style CBT workbooks adapted for SUD; The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction; Quit Like a Woman — Holly Whitaker; This Naked Mind — Annie Grace; The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober — Catherine Gray
- Harm reduction: Overdose Prevention, Naloxone & Fentanyl Test Strips (pamphlets); zine‑style guides on safer use
- MOUD: Plain‑language pamphlets on buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone
- Family support: Beyond Addiction — Foote et al. (CRAFT approach); Addict in the Family — Beverly Conyers
Collection practices that remove barriers:
- No‑questions‑asked copies: Stock free‑to‑keep versions of the most‑requested items (AA Big Book; Living Sober; SMART Handbook). Refill monthly.
- Discreet pickup: Place a small rack near health brochures or in a quiet aisle. Offer a self‑checkout station or QR‑code links to eBooks.
- Privacy: Post a one‑sentence privacy notice for eBooks/audiobooks; offer print alternatives.
- Multilingual: Prioritize Spanish and any prevalent local languages.
Find help now:
- SAMHSA National Helpline: 1‑800‑662‑HELP (4357) — https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines
- FindTreatment.gov: https://findtreatment.gov/
- 988 (call/text): https://988lifeline.org/
Localize this section:
- Add a box for local meetings (AA/NA/Al‑Anon/SMART/Recovery Dharma), your health department clinic, syringe service programs, and free naloxone pickup sites.
Just for Teens: Facts, Stories, & Where to Get Help
Audience: Teens, caregivers, school staff.
Purpose: Offer age‑appropriate info about substances, decision‑making, stigma, and how to help a friend—or get help yourself. Center YA fiction & nonfiction that opens conversation.
What you’ll find in this collection:
- Short, credible guides on teens & substances, consent and safety
- YA novels and memoirs that portray consequences without glamorizing
- Practical tools for handling stress, anxiety, grief, and peer pressure
- Materials for trusted adults (parents/guardians/coaches)
Suggested subject headings & search tips:
Dewey: 613.8 (Health for young people); 362.29 (Teen substance use); 616.85–616.89 (Mental health)
Keywords: Substance use—Prevention—Teenagers; Alcohol—Teen use; Vaping—Prevention; Fentanyl awareness; Coping skills—Adolescence; Friendship & belonging; Grief—Young adult literature
Examples of Starter titles:
- Nonfiction/Guides: The Teen Guide to Health & Wellness (series); Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety — D. Willard; The Straight Dope: A Teen’s Guide to Substance Use
- Fiction/Memoir: Hey, Kiddo — Jarrett J. Krosoczka; Tweak — Nic Sheff; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part‑Time Indian — Sherman Alexie; Crank — Ellen Hopkins; Go Ask Alice (historical context; discuss critically)
- For adults who help teens: The Addiction Inoculation — Jessica Lahey; Power of Moments (for coaches/mentors creating protective factors)
Display idea:
Mix nonfiction with fiction on the same teen display under the banner “Decisions, Stress & Substance Use: Real Talk.” Include a card that says “Not sure where to start? Ask—no lectures.”
Where to get help (teen‑friendly):
- Call or text 988 for confidential support — https://988lifeline.org/
- SAMHSA National Helpline: 1‑800‑662‑HELP (4357) — https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines
- Teen‑friendly info hub (state/local): Add your state’s teen health portal and school district resources.
Care & privacy notes:
- Provide book‑cover privacy sleeves for sensitive titles.
- Offer anonymous question forms routed to a teen librarian.
- Add content notes (not warnings) to help readers choose safely.
How to Build and Maintain These Collections
- Scan your community data (county health dashboard; overdose reports; school climate surveys). Align buying with local need.
- Select across pathways (12‑Step, SMART, Recovery Dharma, faith‑based, medication‑assisted, harm reduction). Avoid promoting a single path as the only path.
- Balance genres & voices (memoir, science, policy, practical guides; include women, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, rural/urban perspectives).
- Formats & access: buy print + eBook + audio when possible; create a small no‑return shelf for high‑demand items.
- Weed compassionately: update science titles every 3–5 years; keep classic memoirs.
- Describe clearly: use neutral labels (e.g., Recovery & Wellness rather than Addiction alone); add staff‑written notes in the catalog.
- Measure outcomes: track circulations, shelf use, and short patron surveys; add a quick QR feedback form.
Vendor and Collection Sources
- Trade publishers (health & psychology lists)
- Hazelden Publishing (recovery‑focused) — https://www.hazelden.org/web/go/home/
- Government & NGO pamphlets (SAMHSA, CDC, state health departments)
- Local partners (health department, recovery courts, community coalitions
Example Web Copy you can Paste on Your Site
Page title: Understanding Addiction & Finding Help at Your Library
Your Library supports recovery. Explore books, audiobooks, and eBooks that explain substance use and share real stories of change. We stock free‑to‑keep copies of core recovery materials—no library card needed. Want help finding the right fit? Ask us—no judgments.
Collections:
- Understanding Addiction (Adults) — science, memoirs, and community impact
- Recovery & Self‑Help (Adults) — practical guides, workbooks, and daily readers
- For Teens — facts, fiction, and where to get help
Need help now? Call or text 988 (24/7). For treatment referrals, call 1‑800‑662‑HELP (4357) or visit FindTreatment.gov.
Privacy: Your reading choices are your business. The library is your confiential, no questions asked resource.
Library Examples you can Model
- San Francisco Public Library – Read to Recovery (free‑to‑keep books): https://sfpl.org/services/read-recovery
- Saratoga Springs Public Library – Read to Recovery (collection & discreet placement): https://guides.sspl.org/recoveryresources/readtorecovery
- Boston Public Library – Recovery Reads staff list: https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/2434864889/2599643039
- OCLC/WebJunction case studies – libraries responding to the opioid crisis: https://www.oclc.org/content/dam/research/publications/2019/oclcresearch-public-libraries-respond-to-opioid-crisis-case-studies.pdf