The library and wellbeing (hosted online by ALN Mental Health & Wellbeing Advocacy Resource team)

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** Please note: the joining instructions for the event may come via the hosts for the event and will not be available here.  Please look out for the email/calendar appointment from the hosts nearer the time. **

About this event

Date: Tuesday 18th February 2025
Time: 12.00noon - 1.30pm 
Closing date for bookings: Tuesday 11th February 2025 (5pm)
Platform: Online via Teams

What's it about?
It is a difficult time for higher education. It is stressful for everyone. Libraries continue to play a key role in promoting wellbeing and mental health, for both students at staff.

Who is the event aimed at?
It will be of interest to all staff with an interest in or responsibility for mental health and wellbeing. 

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Programme

The programme for the session is as follows: 

Introduction - Nicola Wylie (Lancaster)and Andrew Cox (Sheffield)
 

Presentation 1 - Balance: Library and Wellbeing - Louise Dawson and Louise Phelan (Bradford)

In the University of Bradford library, we try to embed wellbeing at the heart of our service delivery. Seeing students and staff as having a range of common yet individual needs and challenges, we provide a myriad of little initiatives, most at no cost to us, which add up to something greater than their parts. This presentation will focus on two of the more easily visible ones, Calm spaces, and mental health first aiders.

Speakers: Louise Dawson – Library Assistant. I am a physical and mental health first aider. I have been involved in many wellbeing initiatives within the library including the Calm spaces, Family study room, Read and relax collection, art and craft activities with both staff and students as well as others still in development. As a neurodivergent member of staff I have delivered staff training within the library to help foster understanding and empathy. I co-authored a journal article on using psychology to improve library behaviour, which was part of ongoing work with Psychology Master’s students.
Louise Phelan – Academic Support Librarian. I am a part of the subject librarian team at the University library and have been involved in many wellbeing initiatives which support the Universities policies on engagement and inclusivity. These include the development of the libraries Calm Spaces and Family Study Room and the setting up of the library book group for staff and students in collaboration with the local City Library. I recently co-authored a journal article on using psychology to improve library behaviour which is part of an ongoing project with Masters Psychology students and I am a mental health first aider.

Presentation 2 - Wellbeing Collection (print books) - Gilly Langley and Michelle Ahern-Gibson (Leeds)

We will explain how we have created the collection at the University of Leeds Libraries. We will focus on how collaboration has contributed to the success of the project and the processes taken to get this far.

Speakers: Gilly Langley - Customer Services Coordinator. I have worked for 29 years at the University of Leeds Libraries in a Customer Service role, passionate about people and the arts specifically. 
Michelle Ahern-Gibson. Michelle previously worked in primary education for close to 20 years before making the move to the University of Leeds Library in January last year. Michelle is passionate about health and wellbeing and loves to run in her spare time.

Presentation 3 - Colouring in Café – An event for Wellbeing in the Evening - Lucy Grove (Lancaster)
I will talk about the coffee and colouring in event we have run weekly over the past academic year; How it started, and how it has evolved as a weekly fixture. I’ll go over our engagement and the different ways we measure this, the feedback we got and what we learnt along the way.

Speaker: Lucy Grove (she/her) – Library Service Advisor. I have been a part of the frontline team at Lancaster University for just over a year, and studied as a student here before that, so I have experienced the library from both sides. Working the evening shift has given me a unique perspective on the vital role libraries play in supporting student wellbeing—providing a welcoming, safe, and accessible space, especially after other campus services have closed. I am passionate about enhancing the library’s impact on the student experience, and have worked to promote and improve our services outside academia; our print and digital leisure reading collections, Audiovisual resources, board games and wellbeing initiatives.
 

Q&A/Discussion

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The event will be recorded (with the permission of our speakers) so if you are interested but can't attend on the day, please register and we will make sure you receive the recording.

You can find more information about the ALN Mental Health & Wellbeing Advocacy Resource here:
https://www.academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/mental-health-wellbeing-advocacy-resource