Bibliotherapy in Health

ScienceLibraries

Laura Loveday

Definition and History

• Biblia = book; Therapia = healing• “The use of reading materials for help in solving

personal problems or for psychiatric therapy; also : the reading materials so used” 1

• Beginning of the 20th century saw bibliotherapy in settings other than mental health institutions

• American Library Association formed its first committee on bibliotherapy in 1939

1. Bibliotherapy. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bibliotherapy

Practices

• Clinical vs. developmental • Self-help, creative, or informal• Commonly used with those recovering

from addictions, grieving, depression, abuse, and trauma or PTSD

• May be individual, with the use of a treatment team, or with a reading group

Implementing Bibliotherapy in the library

• Book talks for young adults through contemporary realistic fiction

• Set up library displays for collections• Research authors before recommending

their material for therapy• Suggest prescription reading pads for

clinicians• Build relationships with therapists and

clinicians in the hospital/institution or local community

Criticisms of Bibliotherapy

• Lack of guidelines for its use• Concern over unqualified librarians

performing a diagnosis or providing treatment

• Misinformation in material • May “do more harm than good”

Ensuring Effectiveness

• Nonfiction books should be evidence-based• Reading comprehension and interests must

be considered• Recommendations should be personalized

and may be evaluated with other health care professionals

With effective and careful bibliotherapy, health science libraries “can vicariously help to resolve troubling issues or hidden feelings

in an effective yet harmless way.” 2

2. Brewster L. Reader development and mental wellbeing: the accidental bibliotherapist. Australasian

Public Libraries and Information Services. 2009; 22(1): 13-16.