Charleston Co. public libraries now offering checkout of blood pressure kits

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The Charleston County Public Library system has announced that blood pressure kits are now available to check out at all 18 branches. The free blood pressure monitoring kits include a blood pressure cuff, instructions, and educational materials.

You can now visit any of Charleston County’s public libraries to check out a blood pressure kit for free, as long as you have a library card.

The library says that you can check out the device for up to 28 days, put it on hold, and they are renewable twice if you need to use it for a longer period of time. The kits come with a device to measure blood pressure and a month-long tracker too, so you can document your results.

This is all thanks to a partnership with the American Heart Association. The goal is to expand resources to the community and put an end to undiagnosed high blood pressure. This collaboration allows folks to check on their blood pressure at home, which is more convenient than taking frequent trips to the doctor’s office and saves money.

“Well, I think that, again, as time goes and as time evolves, when is anything not a need in the community?,” Bees Ferry West Ashley Library Branch Manager Tina Chenoweth said. “I mean, there’s a reason to have everything and anything that you don’t have to pay for and that you can get in the library for free and then just bring back; that’s literally why we’re here is to provide resources that you can use and turn back in. And then if you find that you need to buy one, then that’s an option, but at least you can try before you buy.”

Checking the devices out is simple and anyone with a library card can do it.

“You can do it a couple of ways. If you’re familiar with the way our catalog works, you can put it on hold at your nearest branch and we can put it in the holds area for you. You can also call ahead and check out and see if it’s here. But it checks out like any other material,” Chenoweth said.

To check out a kit, Charleston County Public Libraries is encouraging the community to ask a staff member at your local branch or visit ccpl.org.

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