The case for public libraries: Improving health and wellbeing
Illustration by anne malewski | cargocollective.com/marblesatsea
Throughout August and September, we’re spotlighting our policy intervention, Living Libraries: The case for public libraries in the words of those who use, work in and run them. In this short publication, we make eight recommendations for decision-makers, on four themes: health and wellbeing; community; information; and the environment. Read on to find out more about the first strand of our research, on libraries’ role in health and social care:
When Elizabeth became house-bound through illness, books “became a lifeline” and a “salvation”. Home visits from her local library service provided much-needed social contact, while reading proved an absorbing, calming activity. “It was just so nice to know that I had another chapter to take me out of myself,” she explained. “I had something to look forward to. I would not have coped as well [...] without the library”.
Libraries and wellbeing
Reading for pleasure is beneficial to health and wellbeing. Through reading, Sue explained, people are “transformed from people with a disability or an illness, or a loneliness issue, to people [with] opinions, ideas, thoughts that they wanted to share”. But beyond books and reading, libraries improve people’s quality of life. As Elaine put it, “it’s not just about the reading, it’s about the chat and the contact and the social event”.
“Libraries are alive” - Jayne, Falmouth Library
Carol described how “some people come into that library and that’s the only place they go, in a day, it’s the only interaction they get.” "Libraries are alive” with creative and social activities for all sections of the population, as Jayne put it.
Improving health literacy
Several libraries work with the Reading Agency’s Reading Well: Books on Prescription scheme, delivered as part of Libraries Connected’s Universal Health Offer in partnership with healthcare practitioners. Rachel reported that “a lady who’d been referred to one of those books from her GP [...] came in and said, “I’ve lived with this for fifteen years, and I’ve felt completely isolated, and this book has changed my life’.” For this library user, “having access to that book, in a difficult financial and mental situation" provided “a label for her condition that she could then go and manage. And she didn’t feel alone, she didn’t feel isolated, she felt understood.”
Accessing accurate information
Libraries enable people to access reliable health information in confidence. “It’s not just about coming in for a pleasurable read,” explained Victoria. “It’s a place that you can go for help.” Young people benefit greatly from such support, with teenage pregnancy, anger management and issues around LGBTQ+ identities all mentioned by library staff and volunteers. Victoria described one library user, “a young girl, who was worried that she had an eating disorder, and didn’t want to talk to her parents, teachers, but just wanted to read up a ittle bit.” She was “very worried that her mum would be able to see what books had been on her account. So we could reassure her that [...] we don’t give out information to anybody else about what books have been borrowed.”
Library staff facilitate access to resources with discretion and sensitivity. “We can promote our access to websites, our collections [...] we’re not saying that a book always helps you solve your problems,” explained Carol, but “that information is there if you want it. You can talk further if you need to.” The services and signposting offered by public libraries “save the NHS at least £27.5m per year”, according to a report commissioned by Arts Council England in 2015.
Filling gaps in health and social care
Public libraries offer a free, welcoming space for some of the most marginalised people in society. “We’ve had an increase in people with mental health issues, definitely”, Carol explained. "As people are cared or more in the community, it’s the space that people want to use during the day.” Elaine adds that there are “more people out there without the support that they might have had years ago [...] more and more people without housing."
Making a much-needed contribution to the health and social care provision available within many communities, public libraries fill a crucial gap in frontline services. From providing a hot meal in the school holidays for children who otherwise receive free school meals to supporting people who may be struggling with their mental or physical health, including issues around ageing, disability or chronic health conditions, “libraries respond to people’s needs”, as Carol explained.
Conclusion
Public libraries play a significant role in contributing to and maintaining the mental and physical health and wellbeing of all sectors of society, from children and teenagers to adults, including older people. Reading for pleasure, participating in creative and social activities and accessing reliable health information in a free, welcoming space are all vitally important for healthy communities. But libraries’ willingness and ability to alleviate pressure on underfunded health and social care services, and the capacity of their staff to support those members of their communities most in need, must not be taken for granted.
Living Libraries recommends:
• Public libraries' key role in supporting public health and social care provision, including mental health services, should be recognised and funded appropriately.
• Library staff should be adequately trained and supported if they are providing mental health support or other health-related advice.
Thanks for reading!
The named individuals in these extracts are all Living Libraries interviewees, and their full interviews will be available as part of our archive.
We’ll be sharing our recommendations on our other three themes over the next weeks. In the meantime, you can find out more about our policy pack here, or download a copy to read or print at home.