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Managing your Drug Info service

Drug Info email list

Contact Drug Info to be added to the Drug Info email list. You will receive regular emails about collection updates, training, promotional campaigns such as Youth Week and the Seniors Festival, and other news. 

Drug Info collections

There are two Drug Info collections in public libraries: the book collection and the pamphlet collection.

The Drug Info book collection

The Drug Info book collection is a collection of up to ten plain English books about alcohol and other drugs. It is a standardised collection, held by every library service in NSW. Each library service has two copies of the book collection. Libraries may choose to interfile these books with general collections or display together. For maximum impact we suggest that you locate all collections and signage in one easily accessible area in your central library.

Pamphlet collection

Most libraries include a pamphlet collection as part of their Drug Info collection, to allow clients easy access to plain language drug and alcohol information which is free for them to take home. Many pamphlets are available in community languages.

The Drug Info contact ensures these collections are kept up to date, ordering new titles and discarding old editions as required.

Find out more about the collections

Staff training

Legal, Drug and Alcohol Information Workshop
Two people completing a standard drink pouring challenge

Standard drink pouring challenge at Dubbo Library

The Legal, Drug and Alcohol Information Workshop equips staff with a knowledge of legal, drug and alcohol information resources.

It focuses on the statewide Find Legal Answers and Drug Info services available through public libraries across NSW and online. The workshop builds the capacity of public library staff to answer enquiries about the law, drugs and alcohol. It focuses on why clients need to know about the law, drugs and alcohol, where to find information, and how to deliver law, drug and alcohol information programs to the community. The workshop also includes a standard drink demonstration.

The Legal, Drug and Alcohol Information Workshop is available to be delivered locally on request. To book a workshop session in your library please contact Public Library Services staff.

Drug Info online training

The Drug Info online training module covers topics including:

  • why Drug Info is in public libraries
  • the Drug Info collections and website
  • where to find information relating to alcohol and other drugs
  • promotion.

The training takes about one hour to complete and includes short videos, regular quizzes to test your knowledge, and a virtual showbag you can fill with checklists, a calendar and much more.

Find out more about training 

Promotion

Libraries can promote the service to the community in many different ways, including displaying the Drug Info collections prominently in the library, talking to community groups, posting on the library or council’s social media platforms, running training sessions for council staff, including articles in local newspapers and newsletters, and arranging events.

Promotional material

Drug Info provides a range of Drug Info promotional material, including flyers, bookmarks, postcards and signage. It is important to make sure libraries have the most recent material on display, and that out of date material is discarded. A list of current promotional material is available, and material can be ordered from Drug Info staff whenever it is needed.

Find out more about promotion

Support from the State Library

We support public libraries providing the Drug Info service to their communities by:

  • communicating regularly with you via the email list, advising of important dates, updates to the collections, training, and changes to the service
  • updating the book and free pamphlet collections, and sending instructions about which resources to obtain or discard
  • providing two copies of new editions to the book collection to every library service free of charge
  • providing advice about libraries’ general drug and alcohol collection
  • providing Drug Info training to public library staff
  • providing all promotional material
  • providing promotional material for Youth Week and Seniors Festival events
  • providing information to help plan Youth Week and Seniors Festival events
  • assisting with drug and alcohol related enquiries when required – libraries can contact Drug Info if they have an enquiry from a client and need some assistance
  • answering any questions about the service, no matter how large or small.