BIBLIOTHERAPY

1. BIBLIOTHERAPY TO PRACTICE OR NOT TO PRACTICE?

2. Definitions of Bibliotherapy “Strategy that helps students overcome or deal with current problems or issues in their lives” (Stamps, 2003). “The use of books to help people solve problems…A family of techniques for structuring interaction between a facilitator and a participant based on mutual sharing” (Aiex, 1993).

3. Types of Bibliotherapy According to Liz Brewster in the article, “The Reading Remedy: Bibliotherapy in Practice” there are 3 types of bibliotherapy: Self help bibliography- the prescriptions of nonfiction, advisory books about mental health conditions like depression. 2. Creative bibliotherapy- the use of fiction, poetry, biographical writing and creative writing to improve mental health and well being. 3. Informal bibliotherapy- a focus on creative bibliotherapy techniques in a unstructured manner, including the use of reading groups, recommendations from staff and displays in the library. There is also formal bibliotherapy which is the prescription of selected books followed up by intensive counseling with a psychologist.

4. PROS of using Bibliotherapy Help develop a student’s self awareness and self esteem. Can help to develop a sense of compassion for others. Shows examples of others dealing with similar issues. Gives examples of workable solutions for a current problem. Provides a way for students to discuss problems in a nonthreatening way by using characters from a story.

5. CONS of using Bibliotherapy Not much statistical evidence to prove that bibliotherapy is effective. LMS staff are not trained therapists. Risk labeling a student. LMS staff are not with students on a daily basis and may not have the opportunity to build a close relationship with students in order to truly determine their needs. According to various sources, sometimes increased anxiety occurs due to the use of bibliotherapy and LMS staff are generally not trained to deal with that possibility.

6. CONS of using Bibliotherapy Cont. There is a thin line between propagandizing students to a specific point of view, rather than providing free access to information from all points of view. According to Lucy Warner in The Myth of Bibilotherapy, “In fact, educators, armed with the false sense of confidence their self-styled role as therapists gives them, may be doing more harm than good” (Warner, 1980).

7. Our Conclusions We believe one of the roles of the LMC is to make available a collection of quality therapeutic books for students and teachers to access for personal or classroom use. Due to the fact that bibliotherapy is a process that requires an in-depth knowledge of a student’s specific psychological needs and close follow up with discussion; it is our opinion that bibliotherapy related to private, personal or mental health issues should not be practiced in the LMC by library staff.

8. Bibliography Aiex, N (1993, June). Bibliotherapy. Retrieved June 13, 2009, from Eric Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication Digest #82 Web site: http://library.unlv.edu/faculty/research/bibliotherapy/ Brewster, L (2008). The reading remedy: bibliotherapy in practice. APLIS, 21,172-177. Stamps, N (2003). Bibliotherapy: how books can help students cope with concerns and conflicts. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 70, 25-29. Warner, L (1980, October). The myth of bibliotherapy. School Library Journal, 107-111.