Love Libraries – Supporting the health and wellbeing of communities
Local libraries are at the forefront of efforts to support and improve the health and wellbeing of communities.
In Glasgow, which has the lowest life expectancy in Scotland and where one in three people has one or more health conditions, libraries offer a wealth of resources and support. This includes booklets with information on everything from mental health to dementia, heart conditions, strokes and long Covid. Libraries also offer curated reading lists.
Research has found that reading for as little as six minutes a day can also reduce stress and have a positive effect on overall mental wellbeing. The libraries also work in partnership with health and wellbeing providers and charities.
Resources
Annmarie Galbraith is the Health Information Partnership Manager at Glasgow Life, the charity which runs the city’s libraries and leads culture and sport in Glasgow.
Annmarie said:
Bringing partners into library services helps ensure their offer is more accessible to people locally, rather than people having to travel to receive help.
In all 33 Glasgow libraries we have a designated health and wellbeing space with information from Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Diabetes UK, Alzheimer Scotland and NHS resources. We cover the predominant long-term conditions prevalent in Glasgow and causing early deaths.
Customers can access reliable health information at their local library and we can signpost them on to the relevant organisation.
We also have reading lists for those who want to read and find out more information to enable them to better self-manage their condition. It’s amazing that people can access that locally. Some people can be scared to go into a clinical environment. There’s also anonymity – you could be going to the library for anything.
It’s a non-threatening environment and a relaxing space.
Partnership
Glasgow Life also works with hearing loss charity RNID to offer a monthly drop-in service at eight libraries. People can get advice, support, replacement batteries for NHS hearing aids, basic hearing tests and even have their hearing aids cleaned.
Annmarie said: “The partnership is very successful. The drop-in services are really well used.”
She added:
We also have a strong partnership with Parkinson’s UK in Scotland.
The charity reports that, at any given time, 40% of people with Parkinson’s will experience anxiety or depression and, from a 2017 UK survey, 75% of respondents felt their mental health impacted their quality of life.
The charity now delivers a session on a Monday at The Mitchell Library. People can book an appointment and see an advisor if they have a Parkinson’s condition and see an advisor, or book in for a mental health practitioner appointment with SAMH [Scottish Action for Mental Health].
Another popular partnership offer within Glasgow’s libraries is Infant Feeding Peer Support. The free drop-in hubs have trained volunteers and/or staff who can answer questions. It also allows people to meet others with the same questions and concerns.
Annmarie said:
Anyone is welcome – parents, guardians, carers, grandparents. We have sessions in five libraries every week.
We also have an incredibly valued and important partnership across Glasgow with Macmillan Cancer Support – you can learn more about that in our case study on the CILIPS website.
To find out more about the health and wellbeing support on offer at Glasgow’s libraries, please visit glasgowlife.org.uk/libraries