The library’s mission is to empower our community with reliable resources to support informed healthcare decisions for everyone: including patients, family, friends, medical professionals and the public.
Knowledge is our greatest ally in the mission to keep our community healthy. We want you to be fully informed about your health and any condition you may encounter.
The library is free and open to the public, and offers services including:
Search for books, audios and DVDs at the Connie Delaney Medical Library
Phone: 970.384.6950
Email: Please use this form to ask a question, get information about library services or make a comment about the library website or services.
In person: We are located on the second floor of Valley View Hospital, at the corner of 19th and Blake Avenue, in Glenwood Springs. The Resource Library in the grand lobby of the Calaway•Young Cancer Center is also available for cancer-related books and information. Although the Eagle Valley Care Center, located at 337 Sylvan Lake Road in Eagle, has a collection of materials in Suite 220, please phone or email the librarian for assistance.
The purpose of our library resources is to provide public access to a wide range of health and medical information, not to give medical advice or interpretation.
Information provided by the library does not imply recommendation or endorsement.
It is not a substitute for consultation with a health professional.
Online Resources
The internet is a wonderful source of information about health and disease. Unfortunately, it can also be a source of misinformation.
The links below are for the general reader (non-technical information) and health care professionals seeking patient education materials. These links are designed to give you reliable, easy-to-understand discussions of health and safety issues.
While these links may help to keep you informed about your health, you shouldn’t try to diagnose yourself, based on what you read here.
There is no substitute for medical care and advice from your doctor.
MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) – MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health Web site for patients and their families and friends. Information on diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language you can understand.
MLA Top Health Websites – The Medical Library Association’s Consumer and Patient Health Information Section (CAPHIS) evaluates a number of websites based on specific criteria. The links on this website are not ranked but in alphabetical order and are “deemed particularly useful.”
Cancer Resources – Our Cancer Resources webpage includes trustworthy websites recommended by the Delaney Medical Library at Valley View Hospital.
The Merck Manual Consumer Version – First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, the Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers.
ESPAÑOL – Biblioteca de Connie Delaney
Technical Information
For healthcare professionals and general readers seeking technical information:
Understanding Health News – The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes the information that might be missing from health news stories and the details you need to check for making good health decisions.
9 Questions to Help You Make Sense of Scientific Research – The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health provides an overview of research papers including: parts of a scientific paper, study goals, clinical trials and bias.
PubMed – PubMed is the largest available database of biomedical abstracts and citations. PubMed is provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Clinical Trials Resources – Clinical trials are research studies using human volunteers to add to the medical knowledge related to the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases or conditions. These links are recommended by the Delaney Medical Library to help you become more familiar with clinical trials, the process for participating in a trial and investigating trials that are underway or completed.
In 1957, a medical library at Valley View Hospital supported physician and hospital departments with a professional collection that the public was only allowed access under supervision of medical records staff. Over the next four decades, a continuing medical education library committee charted the library’s course.
Patient focused library services at Valley View Hospital began in 2003 upon adoption of the Planetree Philosophy of patient care. Planetree advocates a holistic, nurturing healthcare environment and seeks to demystify the treatment process for the patient and family. Valley View Hospital established a consumer health library where illnesses and treatments could be researched, and only health-related materials will be found in the collection.
The newly created patient library was supported by a bequest in memory of Connie Delaney, one of the original volunteers at Valley View Hospital when it opened in 1955. Connie was a dedicated pillar of support and vision over the years, vitally interested in the mission of the hospital even in her last days. Connie had a strong belief in the role of hope and resolve in healing and the library’s purpose suits her memory.
All library resources are provided through philanthropic gifts. Along with the Delaney Family, the legacy gift from the Valley View Hospital Auxiliary allows the library to purchase both print and online materials for consumers as well as health professionals. Other individuals also support the library mission. Please contact the Valley View Foundation if you are interested in contributing to the library.
Volunteers are a valuable part of services at our library. Volunteers assist in day-to-day operations of the library and are trained to assist consumers in locating appropriate resources to answer information requests. Contact the volunteer coordinator to become a library volunteer.