Audit of BibliotherapyBOP Activity in England

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Audit of Bibliotherapy/BOPActivity in England

• Debbie Hicks

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Research Aims

• Arts Council England/Museums Libraries Archive
  Council funded research to map existing provision
  of bibliotherapy/ BOP
• Audit
• Analysis successes challenges gaps
• Advocacy
• Policy shaping ACE/MLAs priorities

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Methodology

• Desk research
• Questionnaire survey
• Interviews
• Case studies

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Background/Context

• A broad spectrum of library activity
• BOP/Creative bibliotherapy
• BOP NHS/library partnership
• Creative bibliotherapy library led creative
  reading
• Joining up?

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The Bibliotherapy Map

• Approx 80 schemes in operation
• Over half English library authorities operating
  some form of bibliotherapy
• Most commonly self-help/BOP
• Range of models of creative practice
• A question of definition

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Models

• GP prescriber
• Supported self-help
• Self-help library model
• Library based bibliotherapy
• The reading group model

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Reading Material

• Self-help books subject to systematic review
• Extensive use of core book list (Cardiff/Devon
  models)
• Creative bibliotherapy/creative reading
• Matching the right book to the right reader

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BOP Book Lists Review Panels
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The Audience

• BOP
• Mainstream literate adult audience comfortable
  with books and reading
• Gaps
• - The younger reader
• - Emergent reader/basic literacy
• - Visually impaired
• - Readers for whom English is a second
  language

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The Audience

• Creative Bibliotherapy
• Caters for a diverse reading audience
• Uses a range of techniques to increase access to
  books and reading

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Referrals

• For mild to moderate mental illness usually by GP
  or PCMHW
• Self-referral common in creative practice

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Partnership

• NHS or NHS/Library service lead with supporting
  partners

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Role of Library Service
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Partnership Issues

• Coping with different organisational structures
• Developing shared objectives
• Project planning
• Shared commitment
• Funding

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Funding
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Challenges

• Engaging health professionals
• Evidence fragmented operational v impact
• Book stock
• Barriers to reading
• Library staff development
• Marketing/promotion

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Benefits

• Promotes the value of reading
• Promotes the value of libraries
• Supports inclusion
• Brings benefits to users
• Develops library audiences and issues
• Opens up new partnerships
• Low cost health care

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Recommendations

• MLA support for ongoing development of a quality
  BOP service in libraries
• ACE focus on raising the profile of creative
  bibliotherapy
• A national focus
• Joining up creative best practice with self-help
  approaches
• A role for TRA

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The Future

• Alternative approaches
• Joining up best practice
• Expanded reading lists
• New partnerships
• Training provision
• A national approach to evaluation

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The Final Word

• An excellent partnership model which brings new
  users to libraries and delivers a low cost self
  help model for the health service
• makes a difference to peoples lives
• Reading is like going on holiday without packing
  your bags