Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgent need for mental health and wellness resources for individuals and communities. Public libraries play a central role in democratic societies in that they provide unrestricted access to library collections and services free of charge. Libraries play a vital role in the promotion of community well-being. For over one hundred years public, and later other types of libraries, have employed bibliotherapy to support individuals facing mental health challenges. Recently, the whole person librarianship service model was developed to meet an increased need for community mental health support and services. In this model, public librarians partner with social workers to provide mental health services and interventions to library patrons in need. Additionally, case studies from academic libraries and school libraries will be shared. As librarians and library workers serve on the front lines to support individuals experiencing mental health issues, including trauma, strategies to support their mental health and wellness will also be discussed.
TopIntroduction
The current mental health crisis calls for a more equitable and comprehensive response from a broader array of public, social, and community services. The familiar institution that we know as “the library”—whether situated in a public, school or higher education setting—is uniquely positioned as a venue, both virtual and on-ground, for a response that is trustworthy, compassionate, and economically sustainable. In this chapter, we will present and examine the most compelling ways in which public, school and academic libraries—due to their uniquely accessible and centralized geographic and/or institutional position—are serving and will continue to serve as a critically-needed mental health triage center, trusted information source, and a community safety net.
Public libraries have long been valued as a freely available and dependable resource for personal enrichment and self-improvement. When the first public library in the United States began operation in 1833 in the small town of Peterborough, New Hampshire, a new era began in which all members of society could enjoy equal access to information and knowledge. Industrialist Andrew Carnegie once said that “there is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration” (Eckstrand, 2009, p. 87). More recently, writer Sidney Sheldon observed that “[libraries] open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better” (Eckstrand, 2009, p. 103). The mandate for and provision of an openly accessible trove of knowledge and knowledge-finding expertise is symbolic of the nation’s faith in its citizens’ potential and its genuine care for the well-being of each individual. By the turn of the 20th century, Americans of every circumstance routinely visited their local public library to access high quality information resources to educate, inform, and better themselves.
Public libraries play a critical role in our national social welfare system, providing opportunities to connect with resources which otherwise may be out of reach. For individuals facing mental health and wellness challenges, their local public library, librarians and public service staff may be perceived as the only safe place to turn for help or to identify useful resources. From early collections supporting moral betterment and self-improvement in the 1800s, to the inception of the “Whole Person Librarianship” model of service in the 1990s up to the present, in which social workers serve side-by-side with professional librarians, public libraries play a vital and ever-evolving role in safeguarding community mental health and well-being.
Bibliotherapy is one specialized service that librarians and mental health professionals in settings such as hospitals and schools—and in some cases libraries--have utilized to connect individuals with reading materials to promote their mental health and wellness. Reading collections and reader’s advisory services have been supplemented in recent years in public, school, and academic libraries with engaging and creative mental wellness programming for a range of audiences and constituencies. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (2021), an independent U.S. federal agency charged with supporting libraries (as well as conducting research and developing policy thereto), reports that “public libraries as well as museums are deeply embedded in their communities in ways that enrich the well-being of their local residents. Through their core services, programming, and partnerships with other organizations, they catalyze broader networks of support that meet a diverse range of needs for individuals, organizations, and their broader communities” (p. 14).
For the purposes of this chapter, mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices (World Health Organization, 2018). Mental health--and our capacity to maintain and support it amidst life’s ups and downs--is critical at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through old age.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Public Libraries: Libraries that are open to the public and generally funded by taxes at the municipal, district covering several municipalities, county, state, or federal level. Public libraries exist in most nations of the world and are often considered an essential part of having an educated and literate population.
COVID-19: The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that emerged in December 2019 that resulted in 6.38 million deaths worldwide.
Trauma: Is an event or circumstance resulting in: physical harm, emotional harm, and/or life-threatening harm. The event or circumstance has lasting adverse effects on the individual's: mental health, physical health, emotional health, social well-being, and/or spiritual well-being.
Librarians: People who work professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information to users.
School Libraries: Libraries within a school where students, staff, and often, parents of a public or private school have access to a variety of resources.
Wellness: The quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort.
Academic Libraries: Libraries that are attached to a higher education institution and serve two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students.
Whole Person Librarianship: Guides librarians through the practical process of facilitating connections among libraries, social workers, and social services; explains why those connections are important; and puts them in the context of a national movement.
Social Workers: Individuals who are distinguished from other human service professionals by a focus on both the individual and his or her environment. Generally, social workers have at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited education program and in most states they must be licensed, certified, or registered. A Master's in Social Work is required for those who provide psychotherapy or work in specific settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, or public libraries.
Bibliotherapy: The use of books as therapy in the treatment of mental or psychological disorders.
Mental Health: Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Well-Being: Is the experience of health, happiness, and prosperity. It includes having good mental health, high life satisfaction, a sense of meaning or purpose, and the ability to manage stress.