Pain lecture augments library collection

The Westmount Public Library’s new collection of items on pain management will be supplemented with a live presentation next Thursday, Nov. 26, when Dr. Jeffrey Mogil will speak on 'Genes, Gender, and Friends: The emerging science of pain control'

Dr. Mogil is the E.P. Taylor Professor of Pain Studies at McGill University.

The library’s new collection of material about pain and pain management comes in part thanks to a grant from the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation. The Library was given $4,000 over three years to establish their collection. “So far we have 48 items ... dealing with various aspects of pain management,” said reference librarian Mai Jay. “They’re split between chronic pain books and special areas ... specific parts of the body.”

The creation of the collection involved a collaboration between many different parts of the library. “One of our library board members is a psychiatric nurse, Jean Williams, and she’s been a big advocate of building a consumer health collection,” said Jay.

Williams and former Library Director Ann Moffat suggested titles, which were finally selected by Jay, reference librarian Benoit Morin, and outreach librarian Donna Lach. “All the professional librarians have worked together to try and get this up and running,” said Jay.

The Library has put together a pamphlet listing some of the titles in the pain management collection, and Jay noted that “We have a special icon ... on the website that will give you a list of the whole collection.” The icon may be accessed directly at http://westlibcat.org/westmountvw/vubis.csp, or by going to the library’s home page and clicking the Catalogue link.

Dr. Mogil’s talk will take place in the library Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. The event is free to all, but people are asked to register at the circulation desk ahead of time. For more information, call 514-989-5299.