Saratoga Springs Public Library to launch free Read to Recovery collection

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Saratoga Springs Public Library (SSPL) is launching a new free collection called Read to Recovery on May 20 at 2 p.m. It is the second library in the country to launch this collection following in the footsteps of San Fransisco Public Library, according to SSPL.

Read to Recovery is a collection free to the community to learn about addiction and recovery through literature. According to SSPL, in 2023, Saratoga County experienced 727 drug-related overdoses, averaging out to two a day, and 39 fatalities.

The collection will be shelved and accessible without having to consult library staff. There will be limited titles in CD audiobooks, large print, and braille formats, as well as resources in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean for accessibility.

The library also received $5,000 from the Network of the National Library of Medicine and $1,450 from the Adirondack Trust Company for materials to start the collection. The selected materials cover a wide scope of addiction and recovery topics.

Read to Recovery will promote the existing harm prevention services that SSPL has. These services include being a NaLoxbox location, providing free Fentanyl/Xylazine Test Strips, and hosting a monthly book club called “A New Chapter.”