Wintering Well with East Dunbartonshire Libraries
The University of Glasgow and University of Edinburgh have recently partnered with East Dunbartonshire Libraries on an initiative which seeks to improve the wellbeing of library users who are impacted by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is sometimes referred to as the ‘winter blues.’
Following on from a research project called Living with SAD, this partnership with libraries offers patrons support to tackle the symptoms of this seasonal disorder. During the initial project, they created resources which will now be part of support packs available from the selected libraries. These resources include:
- Light is a Right: A Guide to Wintering Well, a creative guidebook for learning to live well in winter with written and photographic reflections from individuals who experience SAD.
- Living Life to the Full: SAD, an online course for individuals who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder developed by CBT experts at Living Life to the Full.
- Wintering Together Toolkit, a set of resources to support individuals in organising a Wintering Well group in their own local or online community
- SAD Stories Exhibition, an exhibition containing a series of stories about living with SAD based on research participant testimony, along with photographs taken by participants to share their winter experiences
Excitingly, this winter as part of an expansion of the project, Library users in Kirkintilloch, Lennoxtown, Milngavie and Bishopbriggs will be able to borrow a Wintering Well boxset: containing a mini SAD light-lamp, along with the Guidebook to Wintering Well, and the opportunity to access the free to access online support programme (created with partners Living Life to the Full).
There are 100 box sets on offer to support patrons in these local libraries. In addition to the boxes, local libraries will also be organising Wintering Well walks in their neighbourhoods.
You can also save the date for a launch event planned at Kirkintilloch Library on Tuesday the 22nd of October, just in time for the clocks to go back! Full details on this will be available soon.