As you’re no doubt aware, as it’s marked on all the major calendars, this week is Libraries Week where everyone gets to celebrate the nation’s libraries. This year the focus is on wellbeing, and libraries across the country will showcase how they bring communities together, combat loneliness, provide a space for reading and creativity, and support people with their mental health.
At the RCN we’ll be all over social media Tweeting and Instagramming (please follow us if you don’t already) with hints and tips about our libraries and how to use them to improve your wellbeing. One great place to start is through the reading well scheme which uses chosen self-help books to help people improve their own wellbeing and learn more about a range of mental and physical health conditions. The library has copies of all the reading well titles, and is happy to help you with any of your reading needs. If you want to learn more about using bibliotherapy to support patients, you can search our catalogue for relevant books and articles.
Here’s some library and wellbeing facts:
- Being a regular library user is associated with good general health. When valued medically, library engagement saves the NHS just under £30 million a year
- 76% of adults say reading improves their life and the same number says it helps to make them feel good
- Research shows that library users have higher life satisfaction, happiness and sense of purpose in life compared to non-users
So please stop by your RCN library or access us online this week, and help us celebrate #librariesweek.
