Parkes Shire Library is inviting the community to the launch of its new collection ‘Books On Prescription.’
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The Central West Zone Libraries' project is based on a national scheme originating in the United Kingdom.
The scheme was developed following the recommendations in a government report, “Self-help Interventions for Mental Health Problems”, with the aim of cutting waiting lists, reducing the amount of drugs prescribed, and offering an appropriate level of treatment for the majority of people who visit their GP with common mental health problems.
Books On Prescription (BoP) is being launched at Parkes Library this Friday (May 27) at 10.30am.
Parkes Shire Council's Manager Cultural, Education and Library Service, Shellie Buckle, is thrilled to be able to bring Books on Prescription to communities in the shire.
“BoP is the first Bibliotherapy Program to be offered in Australia,” she said.
“To explain bibliotherapy I will use Liz Brewster's explanation from her 2008 Public Libary Journal article 'Medicine for the Soul'.
“Bibliotherapy can best be described as using books to help people understand and deal with mental and physical health problems,” Shellie added.
BoP, supported by Library Council of New South Wales grant funding, is a collection of books and a supporting website, that can be accessed for free, and addresses the most common mental health illnesses in the Central West region.
Peak mental health organisations and publishers helped create of a list of suggested titles. The University of Newcastle Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health and volunteer clinicians, selected 17 titles to be the core of the collection.
“"BoP is a service that will help community members use reading to understand and manage their health and wellbeing,” Shellie said.
“The service is free and confidential and builds on the library’s role as a safe, non-judgemental environment for sourcing information and support.”
The community is invited to join the Parkes Library team for the launch of Books on Prescription, which will include a short presentation and morning tea this Friday at 10.30am.