Bibliotherapy

(with extracts from ‘Reading and Health: The National Context' by Debbie Hicks)

Bibliotherapy is using the power of books to heal and keep people well.

Emerging evidence is beginning to build a powerful case for the benefits of reading including research at the University of Sussex that reading works better than other methods to calm frazzled nerves, and from a study by the Reading Agency that belonging to a reading group helps people relax, combats isolation, improves self-esteem and social interaction, memory and mental agility as well as being great fun - the best medicine of all.

A quarter of English and Welsh library authorities already deliver reading activity for older people and many more are planning to do so. This is an offer that is unique to libraries.

Kirklees is one library authority where they are successfully using blibliotherapy with people with dementia. The following quotation describes how one lady in particular was helped by using the Pictures to Share books;



Over the last eight months I have been working as a Bibliotherapist within Care Homes around Kirklees. My job as a Bibliotherapist is to go into Care Homes and read short poetry and passages from books as an aid to stimulate conversation.

In one particular Nursing Home I was working with a group of residents with various levels of dementia. One particular lady who wouldn't join in the conversation was feeling very isolated from the group, no matter what I tried. Using the 'Picture to Share' books seemed to open up a whole new world for ‘Iris' and I found out lots about her life that I just hadn't been able to find out before. Just by simply showing her the pictures and asking questions or reading out the poems and quotes, she actually felt that she was a part of the group.

'Iris' spoke a lot about her childhood on the farm when shown pictures of animals and the country side.  We found out a lot more about her using this method. She truly enjoyed this session with the picture books. I felt it got her more involved and she was able to share with others. Using these books as a visual aid was the only way in which Iris could actually join in the bibliotherapy session

Mark Redman, Bibliotherapist, Kirklees

(The name of the lady in this report has been changed)