How many people seek out libraries as bibliotherapy centers I wonder. How many people know about the other uses of libraries? This is old news to a lot of you I am sure. Personally, I engaged in my own type of bibliotherapy over the years. Like finding the library every time I move. It’s like centering on the community I live in. Every time I’m on vacation, I find a library. I sure do. Does the heart good.
Contributor: Lee
ah yes, taking the library cure.
i dug up some info on lapidus, one of the UK organizations that does this professionally:
http://vielmetti.typepad.com/superpatron/2008/06/lapidus-the-bib.html
sounds like a really good idea, “reading group” as “group therapy”.
Actually, a UK library won a Libraries Change Lives award (from CILIP) for its Bibliotherapy program last year:
“The Read Yourself Well program at the East Ayrshire Library is a bibliotherapy program that launched in October 2005. It seeks to help people with mild mental health problems overcome them through reading. The person seeking help makes an appointment with a bibliotherapist, who will recommend appropriate books after a discussion. There are one or two follow-up sessions.” pretty darn innovative stuff!
See the full coverage in the July/Aug 07 issue of Marketing Library Services at http://www.infotoday.com/mls/jul07/Koerwer.shtml
And look for the 08 winners to be featured in the upcoming July/Aug issue! more great programs where libraries really DO change lives.
~KD
That is awesome -thanks for the information!