Libraries Are Essential to Health and Wellbeing

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland share their latest campaign #LibrariesAreEssential.

As we approach the local government elections in May, we are leading a campaign to share why #LibrariesAreEssential to Scotland’s stories now more than ever. We are calling on every candidate standing in Scotland to pledge their commitment to libraries, ensuring that they receive the funding and support they need to continue making their essential contribution to health and wellbeing, education, digital and information literacy, tackling misinformation, the Scottish economy and so much more. To help us do that, we would love your support, whether by adding your own story about why #LibrariesAreEssential to you or your organisation, or simply sharing the campaign with your colleagues and service users.

Libraries play an especially essential role in supporting health and wellbeing, with the health and wellbeing offer from public libraries complementing medical provision to form part of a vital whole system approach. This is highlighted in Health on the Shelf, an excellent recent review of library provision commissioned by the Scottish Library and Information Council and researched by Dr Alyson Tyler. The report sought to capture the huge range of activities, services and resources that contribute to the health and wellbeing offer from public libraries in Scotland, and the examples are extensive: from books on prescription, bibliotherapy and signposting health resources to less obvious yet impactful initiatives such as chatty cafes, reminiscence resources and teen game clubs. These all affect how people feel both physically and mentally. And of course, reading in its own right has also been found to improve people’s feelings of wellbeing. Did you know that reading for just six minutes a day can reduce stress by 68%? By lessening loneliness, tackling social isolation and improving mental health, libraries increase wellbeing by creating a sense of community, as well as enhancing confidence, self-esteem and the ability to self-manage health conditions.

This essential contribution saves money and resources too, which is an important advocacy argument. Researchers in England have demonstrated that public library use is associated with higher personal wellbeing ratings and financial savings for society through fewer GP visits, calculating that library members could save NHS England £1.32 per person a year and the Health of the Shelf report calculated that public libraries in Scotland are potentially saving NHS Scotland £3.2m every year.

There are countless other case studies to highlight, from Macmillan in Libraries to Falkirk Libraries’ Libraries for Wellbeing and Stornoway Library aiding Alzheimer Scotland through a Murder Mystery plus many others. All reinforced at a ​​national level by partners coming together this year to refresh the original 2019 Collective Force for Health and Wellbeing Plan. The resulting Action Plan gives libraries a strong vision, guidance and support to respond to the changing priorities resulting from COVID-19, enabling more resilient and healthier communities to emerge post-pandemic.

Grounded in this extensive evidence, our campaign is asking all candidates standing for election to pledge to:

• Provide consistent funding of all libraries to ensure they can continue to support education, digital and information literacy, health and wellbeing, economic wellbeing and access to information.
• Empower all libraries to deliver the new National Strategy for Public Libraries and ensure quality public services, such as libraries, are a key part of future community planning.
• Ensure that school libraries and librarians are resourced appropriately so they can be key components of curriculum delivery, as outlined in Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools, and that all school pupils have access to a trained librarian.
• Agree that misinformation is damaging society and eroding democracy, that libraries and information professionals are vital in combating this and that they should be valued and supported.

You can help us by sharing the campaign as widely as possible: using #LibrariesAreEssential on social media, providing a supportive quote or adding a case study about your collaborations or partnerships with libraries. All support is greatly appreciated – we look forward to working with you to share your stories of why Scotland’s #LibrariesAreEssential!

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