Bibliotherapy Toolkit

Bibliotherapy Toolkit

This toolkit was written by: John Duffy, Jo Haslam,

Lesley Holl and Julie Walker

Chapter one - What is Bibliotherapy? Bibliotherapy is the use of reading creatively; books, stories and poems to make people feel better, in themselves, about themselves and about others. It is about reading and a passion for reading. It is also about sharing that passion, enthusiasm and delight with another individual or group of people. We all know how reading can take us out of ourselves and into another world. Conversely it can show us our own life mirrored in that of another person. If we are feeling miserable or alone sharing our experience in this way can help us to feel less isolated. Our empathy with others is extended as is our imagination and understanding. Bibliotherapy taps into this potential of reading by sharing books, stories and poems with groups or individuals - talking about books, recommending them or simply reading aloud. It offers reading choices for the new or reluctant reader and stimulation for the jaded one. It gives people confidence, to talk about their response to a book and in their reading preferences and choices. It encourages them to share their own reading and make connections with other individuals, groups and organisations. There they hang in the wardrobe of our minds, the shapes of books we have read like clothes we have taken off and hung up to wait their season. This is Virginia Woolf talking about how books can act as our touchstones for life. She also said - The true reason (we read) remains the inscrutable one - we get pleasure from reading. It is a complex pleasure, it varies from age to age and from book to book. But that pleasure is enough. Indeed that pleasure is so great that one cannot doubt that without it the world would be a far different and a far inferior place. Bibliotherapy attempts to open up that world of pleasure to the people it works with, to make their lives richer, and allow them to pass on their own pleasure and enjoyment of the things they have read to others.

Testimonials Jackie a bookchat member: Coming to the book club is very good for me. Up to this point I didnt have a lot of confidence, nor did I read a lot. Now I read a lot and have gained much more confidence. David: The group has become an important part of the community. We talk about books weve read and read poems. But we also recount things that have happened to us and have intelligent conversations about all sorts of subjects. Elsie: The book group is educational, entertaining with great discussions and books recommended by other members. Sue: The group is invaluable to so many people. We encourage each other to read a great variety of books and discuss what weve read. We talk about programmes we have heard on radio and articles weve read in the newspapers - sometimes we talk about things we have seen on t.v. or at the cinema. All this and much more. We are sometimes even encouraged to try our hand at writing for ourselves. It is a wonderful Tuesday morning. Jean : Its (bookchat) very important in my life. I wouldnt willingly miss a session. Mary: The reading is very important in my life. When Im depressed I still read, particularly when I wake up in the middle of the night and all the worries are going through my head I reach for my book.

Chapter two - The benefits of bibliotherapy The benefits of bibliotherapy to individuals Bibliotherapy is not an exact science there are no right or wrong books to read, and every response to the novel is unique to the individual. However, it works we can measure this to a degree, from personal responses to what people have read for example I like reading about people worse off than me it makes me feel better. Does that make me a bad person? Of course it doesnt, but it is the reaction to what has been read that is interesting. The quote I have used was made by a client who had suffered varying degrees of depression for most of her life. Depression is isolating, lonely and by nature a selfish illness. What entering the realms of fiction does is enable us to enter another world that not only takes us out of our own experience, but can also reflect on our own lives and gives us cause for reflection. We can experience pain, suffering and what we may not be able to examine in the real world can be explored at a step removed in the safer world of the novel, or in poetry. Any novel takes us out of our own experience, in effect we are allowing the world into the realms of our own selves. Bibliotherapy allows this broadening of our experience in a safe, non-judgemental way. It can free a person from the confines of crippling loneliness. By entering future worlds, fantasy worlds, any world apart from our own we can explore our own selves in alternative realities and make better sense of the real world we inhabit. Reading is by no means a passive, escapist activity. I think we have all heard of someone bemoaning the fact that reading was considered doing nothing at all Put that book down and DO something! Choosing our own reading matter is a powerful, pro-active decision we make whether we are aware of it or not. From personal experience, when a client who, say may be unable to make a reading choice, decides to branch out and try other things I feel that bibliotherapy has started to work. It can take real courage to develop the confidence to make that decision and try new things. When I first see a new client I often suggest that they buy a notebook the nicest they can find and start to keep a reading diary. I have kept one myself for many years and it is a very interesting, not to say invaluable way of examining ourselves and our moods at any particular time. All readers understand that our reading choices reflect our unique state of being at any given time. For example, we may be constricted by a change in lifestyle a busy young mum may not have the time, or the energy to tackle War and Peace, but it could be the perfect book for a retired person with time on their hands and days to fill. Reading is unique in that it is an activity that can fit in with our lives at any stage, and there are countless books waiting for us to open them. Thats just it they are waiting for US. We can read whatever takes our fancy. Whenever we want to. Knowing this is empowering and one of lifes greatest pleasures.

Keeping a reading diary is also a useful way of measuring our reactions to what we have read, and how our individual responses are affected by our state of mind at any given time. To quote one lady When I look back to what I was reading then, I can remember exactly how I was feeling at the time. I dont want to go back there into that horrible place, but I now know that if I should be as ill again, I will be able to come through it. Reading groups, or Bookchats are another way in which we practice bibliotherapy. Whilst reading is an intensely personal experience, sharing our reading experiences can be enjoyable, stimulating and can open the doors to friendship for the lonely, or socially isolated individual. Reading groups engender an environment where social skills and confidence can blossom in the individual they are a safe place where books may be explored, and opinions expressed in the knowledge that all responses to a book, or poem are valid. There are no rights or wrongs about what we have to say. Bibliotherapy is a unique way of exploring ourselves and our place in the world we inhabit. The benefits of bibliotherapy to organisations We offer a service that is not provided by anyone else, and when we work alongside other services, can offer an alternative means of engendering well-being, inspiring confidence and generally improving the quality of life for people who may not have responded to other therapies. Bibliotherapists work with any organisation who we feel may benefit for example: Gateway to Care The NHS Care Homes Youth Groups Womens Groups Sure Start

The benefits are many and varied not only for service users, but for the staff who deliver the services. We offer the opportunity for staff to develop new skills, by sharing good practice in bibliotherapy, for example. We can set up reading groups in almost any setting imaginable in fact anywhere we can be safely accommodated. All we need is a book and our enthusiasm to change lives for the better.

I will now include an example of where bibliotherapy has benefited both an individual and an organisation.

An example of where bibliotherapy has benefited both an individual and an organisation

J is a Gateway worker who heard about the Reading and You Service at an open day for Mental Health Services held in Huddersfield. J visits clients in their own homes to explore any needs they may have regarding social care requirements and concerns. J also explores any means by which anyone who is lonely or isolated may overcome their circumstances. J visited M in her own home and explored with M the possibility that bibliotherapy might be just the thing to suit her. M lives alone, and suffers from anxiety and depression. She has some mobility problems, but the real concern for M was her hearing impairment and accompanying speech difficulties. M lacked the confidence to go out alone and did not wish to attend a social group but what J did notice was that M loved reading, and sharing that enjoyment could enrich her life and maybe improve her confidence and forgotten social skills. J referred me to M and we went together for the first meeting. This gave J an insight into how I work with individuals and what I can offer as a service. I have been seeing M as a client for two years now and here is what she has to say I love my reading diary it's fun to write things down and look back on all the books I have read since I started seeing Lesley. I go to a bookchat group at my local library and really look forward to it. I dont like talking to people I dont know but now I have met more people I do have some sort of social life just like everyone else. I feel normal now imagine that. For once I fit in somewhere. My experience with M has been so rewarding and it was J who saw the potential bibliotherapy could have on M. I asked J about her experiences with bibliotherapy and here is what she had to say I have seen for myself the benefits that bibliotherapy has to offer it promotes confidence, and enriches lives in such a way that I wouldnt have believed it could work so well had I not seen it for myself. I enjoy working with RAYS and feel that we work very well together we have the same aim, really to promote health and well-being, and foster independent choice for everyone, especially those who have very small voices in a noisy world. There are many, many more people who, like M have benefited from our service. Do you know of someone?

Chapter three - Models of bibliotherapy Bibliotherapy can be roughly divided into two models, medical or social. Medical model The original medical model of bibliotherapy was developed in America using counsellors or therapists who worked with a particular client group (children and teens) in a setting chosen by the counsellor/therapist. Literature and more specifically poetry was used to help clients identify and deal with problems in their own lives through a closely monitored process of reading, discussion and questioning. The counsellor plays a key role when conducting bibliotherapy. They are responsible to motivate the client, provide time to read the selected readings and provide follow-up time to discuss the literature.discussion of thoughts, feelings and emotions helps the client gain insight. References Adam, S. Pitre . Who Uses Bibliotherapy and Why? Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Aiex, N. K. Bibliotherapy fact sheet urbana IL: ERIC Clearing House on reading and Communication skills. Social model The social model, one example of which is outlined in this tool box, is more flexible allowing for a wider range of clients, reading material and settings. Meetings may take place in a hospital. Equally they may take place in a library, community centre, care home or in a client's own home. Referrals may be taken from health professionals, librarians , teachers, social workers, relatives or friends. Clients can also self-refer. Many sessions are open to people irrespective of whether they have a particular mental health problem or not, the emphasis through reading and talking about books and stories being on normality, communication and social interaction. There is no prescribed reading list. A wide range of reading material is used novels, both adult and children's, short stories, biographies and poems as well as newspaper or magazine articles. Neither does the bibliotherapist have to be a trained counsellor. The main qualification for our bibliotherapists is a commitment to and passion for reading together with the ability to communicate that passion to others. This model can also be tailored to the requirements of your service and/or funding and the needs of your clients.

Books on Prescription This is a different if related initiative which uses a range of self-help books written by health professionals. Books cover a range of problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. A number of local authorities are taking part in the scheme in which sets of the books are purchased by libraries. A G.P. will prescribe a book for a patient who will then be able borrow it from the library and hopefully discover ways of dealing with whichever problem they have.

Chapter four - How to do it

"Readers are just as important as writers, and often a lot lonelier." Alasdair Gray, Mr Meikle (Bloomsbury 1993)

Why reading? You are already in possession of a list of books which you have enjoyed, which you want to share with other people, and this is where to start. If you are going to use books - stories, poems, histories, descriptions - as an aid to well being for groups or individuals, you already are armed with: enthusiasms, skills, a knowledge base, a body of work which you can introduce with confidence, pride and the anticipation of shared pleasure. You need to be aware of the danger of your own strong preferences dominating the material (if you only choose science fiction or historical novels, for example, you might have difficulty in maintaining a group), so you need to have a range of books to offer - and no-one has a wider range of material than people with access to libraries. Elaine Harrison, one of the original three Kirklees bibliotherapists, discovered and articulated in the early days of the project that They want to get out of the peculiar state they're in and get back to a normal life, and so that's what we say about what we are offering, it's not therapy, but normality. The process of reading a book, liking or disliking it, talking about it to other people, enjoying agreements and disagreements, finding out what else the author has written - all of these are part of the richness of ordinary living which supports and heals people affected by stress, depression and anxiety. Working with groups Groupwork in the library (if that is your home base) is probably easiest to organise. You can arrange the time, the room, the materials, the refreshments. Reading aloud - a passage or a poem Some pieces are just pure entertainment in themselves, and so much fun to read aloud that everyone gets drawn in, and the performer gains confidence:

The opening pages of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again...

Tarantella by Hilaire Belloc - Do you remember an Inn, Miranda? / Do you remember an Inn?

The shooting of Dan McGrew by Robert Service - A bunch of the boys were whooping it up in the Malamute saloon...

The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes - The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty tree s/ The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas...

...and any poem by Pam Ayres! Some prose passages set out issues clearly for people to start a discussion. Some poems (and people's attitudes to poems) mean that you need to have questions and suggestions ready. People can freeze when confronted by a poem, feeling that there must be a Right Answer (and several that are Wrong), so some prepared questions or pointers can be helpful in giving people confidence, eg: What do you like/dislike about the poem? Is there anything that puzzles you or that you don't understand? Underline three words or phrases that are particularly striking (good or bad)? If the poet was here what question would you ask, what suggestion would you

make? Does it remind you of any poem, song, story, memory, person? What feelings did it raise for you? Why do you think that is? How do you find that the sounds of the words in the poem affect you? If you are going to introduce obscure or difficult passages or poems, be sure that you can offer explanations, or simply share your puzzlement, to help people to engage with the writer, the characters or the situation described. Make the material appropriate. Lots of gloomy (or relentlessly cheerful) poems might not suit a group of people affected by depression, and the books which entertained a luncheon club are unlikely to have the same impact on a group of younger people affected by substance misuse or self harm. Getting started Decide where your activity is going to be, how long it will run for, who it is aimed at, how you will contact them, who else is welcome, who your co-workers will be and what role they will have. Decide if you want the group to be totally (or principally) people affected by mental or physical health issues (people supported by psychiatric services, people affected by depression, bereavement, Alzheimer's, people with visual or other physical impairment, carers groups)

Our preferred form of group is called Bookchat: self explanatory! But some explanations follow. It is a reading club rather than a readers group - although sometimes people will choose to read and discuss a particular book (or have it suggested to them). Bookchat sessions can include poetry discussion, reading a short story or prose passages aloud, looking at a (random or selected) collection of books, discussing the first lines, paragraphs or pages of novels, people bringing books which are important to them for any reason, imaginative writing in response to a poem or passage which we have read. While the main focus of RAYS (Reading And You Scheme) groups is always people affected by mental health issues, our groups in libraries are open to all. The enthusiastic noises which emerge from Bookchat sessions attracted people with a need to talk about books, who asked if they could join in. So instead of applying a therapy to people affected by mental health issues so that they were able to join in mainstream activities, we provided people with an experience so attractive that other people came to join us. Material to choose

"You know more than you think you do." Dr Benjamin Spock Baby and Child Care (1946)

At RAYS in Kirklees we are reluctant to prescribe books, either as this is a good book for a particular group, or as a 'Books on prescription' transaction. Obviously, there are books with (almost) universal appeal, but you will find that what worked on one day with one person or group of people has no appeal. You know what you want to share with others, and that is where to start. But you do need to read widely to discover other materials - the process is one of learning and discovery for the practitioner as much as for the readers. Journalists asking about bibliotherapy always want to be able to quote a book which is 'suitable' for depression, or anxiety - but there is no such thing. There is not an approved list of books to start with, a body of literature which is appropriate for a particular group of people. What one person finds uplifting and enhancing, the next person finds dispiriting and enervating. Start with books, poems and passages which you enjoy - it is our enthusiasm for reading which intrigues, attracts and encourages other people. The writer of this page was once working with a woman with a long term depression - he had known her through writing workshops long before he had ever heard of bibliotherapy. He knew her well - her humour, honesty, commitment to social justice, her rich humanity and her religious faith, and offered her I heard

the owl call my name by Margaret Craven - the story of a young priest with a terminal disease, working in a remote part of Canada, which he knew supported her beliefs and addressed problems of loneliness and futility. It matched her needs. She brought it back the next week: I just couldn't get into this at all, she said. It is tempting to try to find books which we think will meet someone's needs, but it is impossible to predict what will work. We are offering people the chance to enjoy reading - not to feel that there is a process of prescription going on. When you are working with people one-to-one Ask them what they enjoy reading. Ask for their response to shared books/passages/poems. Introduce books as good writing, a good story, a great read - not as therapy. Tell people that their response is right - they are the experts in their own lives and

might very well despise a book you think is wonderful. Respect their confidentiality - and be prepared for insights and statements which

are unexpected to them as well as to you; agreements and disagreements about books can both be fruitful encounters.

You are there to learn from the other person as well as give insight - the writing is territory we explore together and is a process of mutual learning

What does the person enjoy reading? If they don't read now, why not? Always have wide range of books to offer, and dont be too ambitious for people with confidence or concentration problems. People can feel guilty or inadequate at failing to finish, enjoy or understand a book; we should celebrate rejection of a book as the exercise of the readers critical power: it may simply have been the wrong story, author, style or genre for that person. There is a wide range of books published as quick reads, and these are invaluable for people whose confidence or concentration is low. Established authors from a range of genres have written books which are short, entertaining, in clear and easily understood prose. Internet search engines will direct you to sources and discussion about these. Books for young adults and children are useful too. Writing for a young audience means that the story is clear, gripping, and is not obscured by fine writing or excessive philosophical speculation. A well-told story will grip adult readers, and the books are welcome to people who want to read but are wary of explicit sex, violence or swearing.

What to say why you love reading why you like the material you have brought with you today you don't have to like it why did you like it? why didn't you like it? what do you like? why written words have a different power and resonance from spoken words. What not to worry about Going off the subject - different from one person dragging the conversation on to a pet theme - the group finding that they are talking about work, or children, or hospital experiences. We always try to choose appropriate material, but people can be upset unexpectedly, and so all material needs to be: vetted thought about discussed (with colleagues, carers, the people omitted, even though you want to

share it) and rehearsed if it might raise sensitive issues for the individuals or people in a

group. Two poems which walk in difficult territory have been used by one bibliotherapist: Rsum by Dorothy Parker (Collected Dorothy Parker, Penguin) is a witty poem about suicide. The Autopsy Room by Raymond Carver (All of us, The Harvill Press 1996) is a tender love poem with gruesome post-mortem images. The poems were used with people known to the practitioner for a long time, and discussed (with support workers, the group of mental health service users, an individual with long term depression) before being read with them. Confidence and preparation ensured that the poems were well received. Skills and tools Groupwork in the library (if that is your home base) is probably easiest to organise. You can arrange the time, the room, the materials, the refreshments. We have a long list of questions about books and devices to choose them at random, numbered lollipop sticks being our preferred technology, though bingo counters would do just as well. 30 (or 20) Questions The purpose of each question is not to find the Right Answer, but to allow discussion. If someone doesnt have a response to a particular question (eg Is

there a book you can't read on the t ain because you will laugh too much?), there will be someone in the group eager to tell you.

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Desert Island Books The ultimate indulgence question, only we allow eight books (and one record, and a luxury). It can be done with pen and paper as a quick exercise or as something for people to spend a week on. A variation on this game for young people: Grounded Weekend Books If you were grounded and confined to your room for a long weekend with no radio, TV, computer, ipod, games, or mobile phone (this needs to be stressed), but you were allowed books, what books would you take? If you are in a library, send people off to find a book they would recommend, one they are curious about, and one they wouldn't open. (If you have travelled to a day centre, community centre etc, you can do this with as many books as you have been able to bring with you...) A variation on this: Provide a selection of books - either at random, or covering a range of categories (general fiction, romantic fiction, science fiction, historical novels etc) and ask people to judge them by their covers. If your house was on fire and you had time to save ONE book, what would it be? Lists Ask people to make lists of why they read - for information, entertainment, work, study, distraction, inspiration - and lists of where they read or find it impossible to read (bed, bus, bath, beach, bungee jumping...). Some of these exercises were inspired by (or borrowed from) Opening the Book finding a good read by Rachel Van Riel & Olive Fowler. This book is inspirational, useful and still in print. Visit: http://www.openingthebook.com/publications/finding-a-good-read/default.aspx

Questions about books 1. What book would you buy for a child? 2. How many books can you have on the go at once? 3. What author would you most like to meet? 4. What character from a book would you most like to meet? 5. What character from a book would you most like to be? 6. What book do you want to read again? 7. What is the longest title of a book you can think of? 8. Go and pick 3 books from the table: one that attracts you, one that you wouldn't

ever want to read, and one that is a mystery. 9. What are you reading now? 10. How do you pick books? Cover, author, type, review, friends? Any other

examples welcome. 11. Have you ever read a book and then seen the film? Which one was better?

Why? 12. Have you ever seen the film then read the book? Which one was better? Why? 13. How many books are in your house? 14. What rooms in your house don't have books? 15. Apart from fiction, what kind of books do you read? Why? 16. Do you have a favourite poem, or one you know by heart? 17. Can you remember the first time you went to a library? 18. Have you ever been really scared by a book? 19. Is there a book you can't read on the train because you will laugh too much? 20. Is there a book you can't read on the train because you will cry too much? 21. What book would you want on a hot sunny beach? 22. What book would give you comfort? 23. What is a good retirement book? 24. What writer can you not stand? 25. What kind of book can you not stand? 26. Bookshops, second-hand bookshops, libraries, jumble sales, charity shops -

what are the advantages and drawbacks? 27. Has a book ever "changed your life" (or at least a bit of it?) 28. Is there a book you're always going to read (but haven't yet!)? 29. Have you ever been told "You'll love this book" and been disappointed? 30. What book do you want for your birthday? 31. Is there a book you would like to write? 32. Can you remember a book you gave up on? 33. Do you ever read in another language? 34. What is your favourite biography? 35. Do you ever read science books? 36. Who is the funniest writer? 37. What book do you read again and again? 38. Have you ever put off finishing a book? 39. Have you ever loaned a book and never got it back? 40. Will electronic books replace paper? 41. Name 5 books by Dickens.

42. Name 3 characters in Walter Scott's novels. 43. What is your favourite foreign novel? 44. Do you know any poems by heart? 45. Can you outline the plot of a novel set in Yorkshire (Scotland, Wales, Ulster,

England, West Country, Edinburgh, London etc)? 46. Name 3 books by Geoffrey Archer. 47. Name 5 of Dickens' women. 48. Are you waiting for a new book by a particular writer? 49. What is your favourite Enid Blyton book/ character/ story? 50. Do you know a novel about a rock musician? 51. Can you name a novel about a classical musician? 52. Name 5 doctors in literature. 53. What book would you take for a long journey? 54. What magazines do you read? Why? 55. Do you know any books that were written in prison? 56. Who are the oldest and most recent authors you have read? 57. Can you name any servants in Jane Austen's novels? 58. Who is your favourite non-fiction writer? 59. What are the best Yorkshire (Scottish, Welsh, Ulster, English, West Country,

Edinburgh, London etc) novels? 60. Do you read history books? 61. Do you enjoy historical novels? 62. Who is your favourite foreign writer? 63. How can libraries be improved? 64. Do you ever read Shakespeare's plays?

A million teachers A book is where you lose yourself in the smell of new print, rustle of pages - each an escape route a tunnel through dirt into daylight. A train ticket to places you've never been, frontiers of the heart. A time machine a leisurely conversation with the dead. A room with windows, each one looking out on a different world. A book breaks open walls to let in birdsong, traffic, scent of meadows. An endless crowd of people, each with a story to tell, a school with one pupil, a million teachers. A market stall of memories. A book is where you find yourself. Andrew Rudd Andrew Rudd was Cheshire Poet Laureate in 2006. His poems have appeared in all kinds of places: magazines, competitions, bookmarks, postcards, Library windows, on stage, in prison and on radio. His first collection, One Cloud Away from the Sky was published in 2007. In his day job he is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has appeared in two successful Arts Council funded poetry shows - Bunch of Fives, and Fourpenny Circus.

Web address: http://business.virgin.net/sound.houses

Chapter five - Getting it out there What you do Be clear about what you want to achieve. Who is your service aimed at and what kind of service can you offer them? This may largely be determined by the model of bibliotherapy you intend to use. In an informal setting, for instance, boundaries can be fluid. You need to establish what you are prepared to do within a group or for an individual. (You might take books for an individual to a venue or even to their own home. You wont take their shopping or collect their prescription). The model of bibliotherapy you use will largely determine your client group. However you do need to be clear about the level and area of mental health (if this is your focus) you are equipped to deal with. Clients with severe mental health problems may be beyond your scope. However you may need to be prepared to signpost them to other services which can offer support, e.g. the library home service, Age Concern or the Patients Advice and Liaison Service. Whichever model you base your service on however you will need to: * Establish your time limits how much (time) you have in a week and how you are able to distribute it. * Whether you are focussing on groups or individuals or a mixture of the two. * Where you will meet clients or groups - Many health professionals, social workers etc will want to know if you can visit clients in their own homes. You will have to be clear about whether this is or is not part of the service you are offering. Referral system Are you going to have a referral system? If so how will it work? Will it be formal or informal? If you are designing a referral form how much information will you need about a client? From our experience an informal approach works well. Clients are referred by health professionals, support workers or relatives while some are self-referred. Referrals are taken in person, by telephone, or e-mail. We do however use a referral form and in most instances would request one as a follow-up to a telephone call, e-mail etc. They are useful for record keeping and can also include information that may not be given in an e-mail.

If an individual is referred ask the person doing the referring if they can come to a first meeting with their client. Having someone they already know present will make the client more comfortable. Some of the above will be mentioned in your publicity. Publicity It goes without saying that good publicity is crucial to the success of your service. An eye-catching design with clear user-friendly information is a must. Think about having a generic leaflet and possibly other leaflets, posters for different groups and/or events. An in-house marketing and/or design service may be able to offer advice and support in this. You then need to get your publicity to the right people. Who to contact Find out who is the best person to approach within a service e.g. an occupational therapist or a community psychiatric nurse. You will also need to know when they work. In a hospital or care home it may be an activities co-ordinator. In a general practice it may be the health visitor or practice nurse rather than the G.P. Within social services there will probably be a single point of access such as Gateway to Care or a council switchboard which will pass you on to the appropriate team or person. This may be a senior practitioner, social worker or community care officer. The list below will give you some idea of the number and variety of people and services you can approach. Health professionals e.g. Occupational Therapists, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Health Visitors, Practice Nurses and General Practitioners. Hospitals Both general and those dealing with mental health and attached units e.g. stroke rehabilitation, memory monitoring. Other services within a health trust such as the Patients Advice and Liaison Service can provide a valuable link to clients and work in a health setting. As well as occupational therapists and community psychiatric nurses you may also contact modern matrons and activities co-ordinators. Government initiatives e.g. Surestart and Jobs Centre Plus. Third Sector Organisations

e.g. Age Concern, Joseph Rowntree Trust, Housing Associations and MIND. Other council services e.g. Libraries, Education and Social and Youth Services. You may also contact day and drop-in centres, minority groups (special interest, ethnic and cultural etc.) colleges and further education centres. If you are working within a library service liaise closely with library staff - they will know their customers and may well be able to refer clients Have a clear outline of what you would say to introduce yourself and the service you are offering. Are you going to telephone, e-mail or write, or all three? In any case a follow- up letter to an initial phone call or e-mail is a good idea. You can include extra information and publicity with it. It will be useful to have a messaging system a contact number or key person who can take messages when you are out with a group or client etc. At some point you will probably be asked to a meeting. If so, be prepared. Be prepared If you havent already sent one, an extended outline of what you are offering with accompanying publicity, leaflets etc. will be useful as will be any documentation or research as to the benefits of the service for clients. As mentioned before be clear about: a) What you can offer. b) How much time you have. c) Who your service is aimed at. d) What the benefits may be for a client or group. e) Time Scale how many visits or sessions can you offer. f) What you will need from them. This may be a room to hold sessions or a key worker who is able to dedicate time to identify and prepare potential members of a group and offer support during sessions. g) Sustainablity - can a group eventually function without your input, an individual develop the confidence to join a library, another group etc. (this will include your own aims and objectives).

h) What feedback do you need and what do they need from you? This may be feedback on how a client is progressing within a group situation and whether it is meeting his/her needs. A team meeting in an occupational therapy department for instance is often very productive. You will reach more people and someone in the team will be interested enough to contact you again or send referrals. You can also give out lots of leaflets. Also take anything to a meeting that can demonstrate what you do (a book quiz preferences rather than knowledge, a short piece of writing or a poem, some books with interesting titles or covers). This is often more effective than just a resume of your service and will also form part of your resources. Resources The aforementioned excerpts, reviews and ice-breakers for use with groups and individuals. Books of course and also display material for use at events, meetings, conferences, road-shows, health days might be needed as well as leaflets and business cards. Problems You may still get inappropriate referrals. Be able/ready to refer them to another service if possible and if they will benefit from it. An older person for instance once their needs have been assessed may benefit more from a referral to Age Concern, a daycentre or the home delivery service within a library. A group may meet in a library or other venue. If this is the case check it out to make sure it is suitable. A meeting in a care home for instance may well be interrupted by a cleaner or a visitor. For health and safety reasons it is always sensible to check out the suitability of a new venue if you are offered one. A risk assessment by a competent person should be in place for any new venue or individual home. Ideally if you intend visiting a client in their own home you should be accompanied. Failing that someone needs to know where you are and how long you intend to be there. A mobile phone is also a good idea. If you are working with a group in a hospital or in any other institutional setting try to get the co-operation and support of a key worker at your sessions. They will be able to advise you of any potential problems you may have with a client, distract, calm down or possibly take a difficult client out of the session and if all goes well participate in the session themselves.

If a session doesnt go well (a group may be unresponsive or unwelcoming) persevere they may just have had a bad day, a lunch they didnt like or be reacting to some new medication. Next time may be different and hopefully better. What we get out of bibliotherapy Reading has been and is a life long activity for me. An interest in mental health developed from the experiences of illnesses of close family members. Bibliotherapy has meant that I am able to use one of the things I feel passionately about (reading) to do something about the other thing (mental health) I feel correspondingly strongly about. Reading is for the most part about people and their stories; their lives, work, dreams, loves, hopes and desires, their successes and their failures. Bibliotherapy opens up the possibility, for the people we work with of discovering, sharing in and finding something of themselves and their lives in books and stories. One of the rewards of bibliotherapy is when this happens and it does happen and someones life is changed for the better Another strand of bibliotherapy is about encouraging people to extend their reading choices. This has meant that we have also to extend our own reading as well as confront any reading prejudices we might have. I have in this way discovered writers I may never otherwise have looked at and re-discovered books and poems I had not looked at since childhood (I re-read and wept over Anne of Green Gables and understood by reading him aloud what a wonderful writer Robert Louis Stevenson was). Curioser and curioser said Alice as she followed the white rabbit into wonderland, a sentiment I would echo about books, stories and poems - curious and wonderful.

Chapter six - Advocacy for bibliotherapy Partnerships Establishing good partnerships with other agencies can: Create more funding opportunities; some organisations are more willing to

fund projects that involve partnerships with other organisations or that encourage cross sector working. Partners may also have access to funding streams that are otherwise inaccessible i.e. if they are a registered charity they may be able to apply to funding streams that local authorities cannot. Other council departments are also possible partners such as community cohesion, health etc.

Enable you to reach a wider audience. Provide access to other possible partners as well as valuable networking

opportunities. Create an opportunity to develop other projects.

Obvious possible partners for bibliotherapy are Primary Care Trusts, local authority health initiatives, social care organisations, mental health organisations and charities, and other health charities such as the Stroke Association. Advocacy It is important to consider who your audience is when you are advocating the benefits of bibliotherapy and make sure that you have an idea about their goals and target areas. You will also need to be clear in your own mind about the benefits of bibliotherapy in order to be an effective advocate. This can seem difficult as many of the benefits could be classed as soft and difficult to define. However, there are definite benefits that you can sell. These are: For organisational bodies

Community cohesion, especially through mixed member groups. Increased capacity you will very possibly be reaching people who do not

normally make use of your services, especially in regard to hard to reach/ engage audiences.

Combats social exclusion as it is an inclusive activity. Helps to promote libraries as an effective and innovative community

service. Makes greater use of and promotes stock. Provides a networking opportunity for future funding and partnerships. Provides access to other funding sources through partnership working.

For individuals

Concentration a bibliotherapist will be able to help select the right book in the right format e.g. a talking book rather than text if concentration is poor.

Increasing confidence and self esteem through the sharing, recommending and discussion of books with others.

Developing/improving social skills through interaction with others. Providing stimulation and motivation. Improving emotional wellbeing. Combating isolation and depression through its inclusive nature. Greater self expression and creativity. Speech and communication skills improved through discussion with others. Pain relief the escape offered by a good reading experience can distract

from pain, thus reducing the need for medical intervention. Consolation through engagement and identification with the characters in a

book and their situations. Reassurance through fictional characters that other people have felt that

way too. Improving quality of life. Engendering a sense of involvement with a community. Accessibility through the variety of formats available makes reading an

enjoyable leisure activity. Obviously these benefits are not only applicable to people with mental health problems but across a whole spectrum of illnesses including neurological, heart, spinal injuries and many more. Funding This has the potential to be a major headache! It may be that you will have to be realistic and accept that at first funding may only be available for a limited project period. However, dont despair as this is how RAYS in Kirklees began and were still going nine years later, becoming mainstream posts after six years. Besides, if your project is successful then you can use that as leverage for more funding in order to ensure that bibliotherapy will eventually be a permanent and sustainable activity. An obvious possible source for funding would be to contact your local Primary Care Trust as bibliotherapy meets many of their target criteria. Other possible sources are: Your local authority Arts Council England Lottery Esmee Fairbairns Paul Hamlyn Foundation MLA The grant finder website: www.grantfinder.co.uk

The main thing is to keep positive and keep going! Good luck.

Chapter seven - Booklist We are often asked for a list of 'approved' books, and we are very reluctant to do so - it is impossible to predict what anyone's response to a book might be. However, here are some books which we have enjoyed using. Books Private - Keep Out, Gwen Grant The youngest child in a working class Nottinghamshire 1940s family describes her life and adventures - hilarious, and uncompromising in exposing her family's weaknesses. Taxi Driver's Daughter, Julia Darling The effects on an ordinary family of the sudden and unexpected arrest of the mother. A straightforward story, told with care and delicacy. Curious incident of the dog in the night-time, Mark Haddon A teenage boy with Aspergers syndrome tries to make sense of the messy world of adult emotions around him. A detective story which lays bare our frailties, and instructs us how to care for one another. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, Roddy Doyle The adventure of being nine years old, the exhilaration of mischief, the drudgery of school, the puzzle of parents - explored in a moving and funny story. Carrying the elephant, Michael Rosen Part of an autobiography, in very short chapters, each one crammed with drama - funny incidents as well as bitter and sad memories. Ethel & Ernest, Raymond Briggs The same wit and skill which created Fungus the Bogeyman, the Snowman and Father Christmas bring us the story of Raymond Briggs' parents' marriage in pictures. A winter book The summer book, Tove Jansson Short stories from Finland by the creator of the moomins, which explore, in beautiful prose, how we make sense of the world. Stories for adults which children will enjoy. Findings, Kathleen Jamie Reflections on the natural world and our place in it, beautifully written engaging essays.

The statement, Brian Moore A gripping hunt, based on true events, through France, by an expert story teller. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell A cleverly and surprisingly constructed story-in-a-story (in a story...) Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon The first part of A Scots Quair the story of Christine Guthrie, growing up and maturing in a closely described farming community in North East Scotland in the early years of the 20th century. My book for a desert island... Buddha Da, Anne Donovan A hilarious and moving account of a Glaswegian painter and decorator's discovery of Buddhism and the effects on himself, his wife and his daughter - each in their own voice. Funny and moving and tender. The clothes they stood up in, Alan Bennett A novella which describes with cold eye and sharp wit the devastating effect on a conventional and private couple in contemporary London when a theft leaves them with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. The Wedding present, Adele Geras A Quick Read - a short and charming romance, which does exactly what it says on the cover. No dress rehearsal, Marian Keyes A Quick Read from Ireland (which invented the genre to create stories for adults with poor reading confidence or skills). What happens when you discover you have died and become a ghost. A most satisfying story. The telling, Ursula Le Guin On another world, Sutty, fleeing from the chaos and intolerance of Earth, faces up to a planet government which has outlawed all literature and myth. The most gifted SF writer, whose prose is lucid, entertaining and gripping. The Uncommon Reader, Alan Bennett A joy to read out loud. Precise wit, gentle humour. Perceptive and insightful. As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, Laurie Lee A wonderful evocation a time (the 30s). A sense of freedom, innocence and adventure, coupled with realism about that particular era - who could forget the tramp young Laurie Lee meets on his journey to the coast before he boards his boat for Spain?

Cider with Rosie, Laurie Lee A portrait of life in a Gloucestershire village in the early part of the 20th century. Read it all the way through for a real sense of how life was for a small rural community meet interesting, eccentric and unforgettable characters. Anne of Green Gables, L. M . Montgomery A childhood favourite. Wonderful to re-read as an adult. The Young Visiters, Daisy Ashford Unintentionally funny. A delight to read. Room for a Single Lady, Clare Boylan The story of an impoverished family in the Ireland of the fifties. Meet interesting and eccentric characters when the family decide to let a spare room to a single lady to swell their income. To School through the Fields, Alice Taylor Boy and Going Solo, Roald Dahl The White Darkness and Forever X, Geraldine McCaughrean Private Keep Out, Gwen Grant Toast, Nigel Slater The Flight of the Maidens, Jane Gardam The Eyrie and Four Dreamers and Emily, Stevie Davies The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame Precious Bane , Mary Webb The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes Grandmothers Footsteps, Rachel Anderson How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson Very Good Jeeves, P.G. Wodehouse

Poetry All of us, Raymond Carver Poetry which explores human frailty and weaknesses, describes people at their most vulnerable, and celebrates tenderness and happiness. The worlds wife, Carol Ann Duffy A feminist history of the world, of literature and myth - these poems are witty, savage, funny, frightening, stimulating. Start with The Kray Sisters or Mrs Rip van Winkle and you won't be able to put it down. Mental fight, Ben Okri This long poem was prepared as a speech at the turn of the millennium, and is a reflection on finding hope in troubled times. It has been used by groups of people affected by mental illness as a way of enhancing their own hope and understanding. Surgically enhanced, Pam Ayres I am reluctant to say 'must' in relation to books, but this is the essential book for bibliotherapists - funny, honest and with universal appeal. The collected Dorothy Parker Short stories and sharp verse from a major wit. The collected Roger McGough Poems from the 1960s until now, playing with language, looking at the world with sympathy, and with sharp comment in among the jokes. The rattle bag, Hughes & Heaney A huge raggle-taggle collection of poems, heaped together - everyone will find something to cherish in this book. I found this shirt, Ian McMillan Short stories, apparently off-the-top-of-his-head reflections and poems which keep you thinking after you have stopped laughing. 52 ways of looking at a poem, Ruth Padel If you want to find out more about poetry, if you want to discover what's going on when you read one, if you want to understand what might be going through a poet's mind as she or he writes, these expert dissections of 52 poems will give you plenty to work on (and help you explain poems to other people!). Beside the ocean of time, George Mackay Brown George Mackay Brown was a master poet and storyteller, using his native Orkney to explore the world. A boy has a series of day dreams which take him through time and across the world.

Staying Alive and Being Alive, edited by Neil Astley (Bloodaxe Books) Earth Shattering, edited by Neil Astley (Bloodaxe Books) From Here to Eternity Poem for the Day One, Two etc, Chatto and Windus Poems on the Underground The Nations Favourite Poems (BBC Publications) Dart and The Thing in the Gap Stone Stile, Alice Oswald Jizzen and The Tree House, Kathleen Jamie The Sonnet, edited by Don Paterson The Shepherds Calendar, John Clare Cloud Cuckoo Land, Simon Armitage The Poem and the Journey, Ruth Padel The Works, Pam Eyres The Brink, Jacob Polley Hard Water and Tilt, Jean Sprackland The Collected Poems of George Mackay Brown The Boy from the Chemist is Here to see You, Paul Farley Public Dream, Frances Leviston Also anything by Ian Macmillan, Michael Rosen, Roger McGough and Ken Smith.

Contacts John Duffy Tel. 01924 326021 Email: [email protected] Jo Haslam Tel. 01484 222500 Email: [email protected] Lesley Holl Tel. 01924 326021 Mobile: 07814 749716 Email: [email protected] Julie Walker Tel. 01484 226364 Mobile: 07973 152986 Email: [email protected]

www.kirklees.gov.uk/bibliotherapy

I will now include an example of where bibliotherapy has benAn example of where bibliotherapy has benefited both an indiWeb address: http://business.virgin.net/sound.houses