Monadnock Doll Hospital returns to Jaffrey Public Library

The Monadnock Doll Hospital and Vaccination Clinic returns to the Jaffrey Public Library this week, beginning Monday, Feb. 22.

This year, the librarians are expanding children’s health literacy initiatives to include COVID-19 and support vaccination education by inviting children to bring in their dolls and stuffed animals to be “vaccinated.”

The “Hospital” will be held in the library’s Lab, as a self-directed program that will be available at all library appointments for the next several weeks. The library recently increased hours to open Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m. and offer appointments six days a week.

“We want to reduce the fear that children may have about vaccines and doctor visits, in general, but we also want to encourage everyone to embrace hope over fear,” said Julie Perrin, Library Director.

In 2019, the Jaffrey Public Library hosted their first “Monadnock Doll Hospital” in a concerted effort to include health literacy as part of their wider mission of lifelong learning and received positive feedback from the community. Since then, health literacy for all ages at the library has included not only reference help, but even handwashing activities with rubber duckies for preschoolers and toddlers in early 2020 before COVID shutdowns, science focused book clubs, and human body skeleton and microscope kits are available for checkout.

For more information, contact the library at (603) 532-7301.