This term I am launching a new collection called Living Well.
As well as “Books to help you take care of all aspects of your physical, mental and emotional health”, there is also a collection of cards which each feature a different website, showing a screenshot of the site and giving its URL and a QR code link to the site. Here is an example:
The intention is that students will use the QR code or note the URL so they can access the site at their convenience, but if someone needs to take a card, it’s easy to print out a new one.
The idea for this collection came from discussions I was having with the college nurse about the kinds of health issues that our students experience. Our nurse has a collection of resources in her office which students may freely use, but I could imagine that some would prefer to be more anonymous when asking for help. Having a collection like this in the library means that all of our students may browse it and borrow from it without needing to identify themselves to another person.
It was a great opportunity to liaise with the college nurse, college counsellor and student welfare reps to seek their advice on suitable materials for the collection. As well as providing help for those with a problem, I also wanted this collection to include resources for those who wished to develop or explore aspects of themselves in a positive way, hence the inclusion of The Artist’s Way and the School of Life titles as well as books on stopping smoking, coping with bereavement, and managing your mental health.
Making the change from school or college to university can be difficult for many young people. I hope that this new collection will help our students to live well, and thereby make the most of their education.
Hi Laura,
I don’t know if you’re aware of the Books on Prescription scheme which may provide some helpful ideas for your collection, all of which have been evaluated, not least for accuracy. A list of the most popularly used books can be found at http://www.overcoming.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6320
Hi David, thanks for letting me know about this – will check it out!
Hi Laura,
I like the fact that you’ve considered the user who may prefer to remain anonymous, and I especially like that you took advantage of the opportunity for collaborative collection development by liasing with the college nurse, college counsellor and student welfare reps. I’ve taken a similar approach in the past and I think involving others in the selection process, automatically propels the use and circulation of new resources.
Kelly
Thanks for your comment Kelly – the collaborative aspects are starting to come together now
The students are having a Mental Health Awareness Week later this term and it will tie in well with that too.
Hope your East Coast Chartership meet-up goes well – sounds fun!
Thanks, Laura! I’m sure it will feel great to talk with others about Chartership in person rather than by email or through Twitter!
Good luck with Mental Health Awareness Week
Kelly