#LibrariesAreEssential to Wellbeing

Category: #LibrariesAreEssential, #LibrariesAreEssential - Scotland's Stories, Blog

In late 2021 Falkirk Libraries were awarded funding from the Scottish Government Covid Relief Fund to establish and run a Libraries for Wellbeing project. Libraries for Wellbeing is designed to support two of the six Covid Recovery themes:

• Tackle social isolation
• Promote mental health and wellbeing

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, social isolation and mental health and wellbeing are issues that have been identified locally and nationally as impacting negatively on our communities.

Libraries for Wellbeing will position our libraries as friendly welcoming places with events that tackle social isolation and staff who are trained and confident in promoting mental health and wellbeing. The project will allow us to actively work with community organisations and individuals to tackle one of the most urgent concerns that has been identified in our communities.

Falkirk Libraries show why #LibrariesAreEssential to sharing stories, tackling social isolation and much more. Photographs throughout with thanks to @LibFalkirk.

Libraries for Wellbeing is achieving its aim by carrying out a wide-ranging training programme for staff, by creating new Words for Wellbeing groups, and by running outreach sessions to connect more deeply with our communities and encourage the use of libraries as welcoming safe spaces for everyone.

The project is upskilling all our staff around mental health awareness and a significant number of our staff in mental health first aid. This will enable our staff to feel confident in being able to better support people who use our libraries, so they can help people in distress and signpost people, so they are able to get the long term help they need.

We are also in the process of training a wide range of staff in facilitating Words for Wellbeing Groups. Once trained, staff have been working to promote the groups and encourage people to attend. As well as promoting in the libraries and via social media, we have been contacting community groups and other organisations to promote the project. Local churches have been particularly supportive in getting information out into the community.

The groups are fortnightly and open to anyone, it is intended that they support mental health and wellbeing by encouraging people to get out of the house and enabling them to socialise in a safe space. They differ from traditional book groups in that no homework is required. People can just come along on the day, the group facilitator will read a short piece of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or song lyrics and then participants can discuss how they feel about it. There is no pressure for anyone to contribute, but some participants have shared work that means something to them. Feedback on the groups has been positive and people are enjoying coming along.

By the end of March, we will have four Words for Wellbeing Groups running across our libraries, by the end of April this will have increased to seven. The groups are all free, as are the refreshments provided. While we have used the Scottish Government Covid Relief Fund to establish the project, the Words for Wellbeing Groups will continue beyond this as a core part of our service and run by staff based in libraries and sustained as part of our normal programming.

Gavin Johnstone, Development Librarian. Falkirk Libraries.

Falkirk’s senior library assistants celebrate the chance to come back together in-person and support their communities through essential initiatives like Words for Wellbeing.

Thank you to Gavin and all at Falkirk Libraries for sharing their essential work to tackle social isolation and promote mental health & wellbeing, making the most of the uniquely positive power of libraries. 

Please click here for more evidence of why #LibrariesAreEssential to Scotland’s Stories now more than ever.