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Bibliotherapy: the Restorative Power of Reading

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Bibliotherapy: the Restorative Power of Reading BIBLIOTHERAPY: THE RESTORATIVE POWER OF READING A study submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Librarianship at THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD by UTE MANECKE August 2009 Acknowledgements I want to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Barbara Sen, for all her help and advice with the dissertation. Moreover, I would like to thank her for all the time and support she had given me in many other ways and the encouragement and belief in me being able to carry out this project. I would also like to thank all the participants in my research as well as Sheffield Libraries for their co-operation. Finally, I want to thank the graduate students who helped me to pilot my research. ‘Reading means approaching something that is just coming into being.’ (Italo Calvino, If on a winter’s night a traveller) Abstract Background. Bibliotherapy has often been described in terms of reading being a means to healing (mental) health problems. Although attention has mostly been given to self-help material in this context, there has been some interest in fiction reading and its potentially restorative impact. Aims: This research aimed to find out whether fiction reading increases feelings of wellbeing in the public library context in a more general way that is not restricted to individuals suffering from mental health problems and, if this is the case, in what way this is achieved. It also tried to point out the implications these findings might have for public libraries. Methods: A questionnaire was developed and handed out to public library users. The sample size was 101 and the number of questionnaires returned was 97. The questionnaire results gave an initial overview of how patrons related fiction reading to wellbeing in the public library environment. These findings were then further explored through observations of reading groups in a public library and consecutive focus groups held with the reading group members. A sample of three reading groups was chosen. Results: The great majority of public library users who read fiction claimed that fiction reading has a positive effect on them. Amongst the many benefits of fiction reading mentioned were the pleasure and enjoyment it offers to readers, the intellectual stimulation it can give as well as the widening of horizons and relief from stress or worries. Absorption in the reading material, which can be facilitated by a clear narrative and realistic characters, was reported to enhance the reading experience. The latter is seen as very personal. Most patrons who took part in the research frequented the library as often as once a week at least and the great majority of participants stated that coming to the library makes them feel good. Conclusions: Both, the research literature and the fieldwork reveal the overall positive impact of fiction reading on people’s wellbeing. Public libraries have a big role to play to foster wellbeing through reading through the provision of a wide range of fiction material and active reader development, which could connect particular readers with particular books. Table of Contents I. Introduction 1 I. 1. The concept of bibliotherapy 1 I. 1.1 Creative bibliotherapy 1 I. 1.2 An extended definition of bibliotherapy 2 I. 1.3 Reading and public libraries 2 I. 2. Research question, aims and objectives 3 I. 2.1 Research question 3 I. 2.2 Aims 3 I. 2.3 Objectives 3 II. Literature Review 5 II. 1. Reading and its benefits 5 II. 1.1 The nature and value of fiction reading 6 II. 1.2 Reading choice in creative bibliotherapy 12 II. 1.2.1 ‘Best books’ and the canon 12 II. 1.2.2 Individual choice 15 II. 2. Public libraries and bibliotherapy 16 II. 2.1 Libraries as restorative places with a leisure function 17 II. 2.2 Reader development and advisory 19 II. 2.3 Reading groups in public libraries 22 III. Methodology 28 III. 1. Introduction 28 III. 2. Questionnaires 29 III. 2.1 Sampling 29 III. 2.2 Designing and administering questionnaires 30 III. 2.3 Data analysis 32 III. 3. Observations 32 III. 3.1 Sampling 34 III. 3.2 Observing 34 III. 3.3 Data analysis 35 III. 4. Focus groups 36 III. 4.1 Sampling 37 III. 4.2 Conducting Focus Groups 38 III. 4.3 Data analysis 38 III. 5. Ethical considerations 39 IV. Findings 41 IV. 1. Questionnaires 42 IV. 2. Observations 58 IV. 3. Focus groups 61 V. Discussion 77 V. 1. Reading in general 77 V. 1.1 Different modes of reading 77 V. 1.2 The nature of fiction reading 77 V. 1.3 The value of fiction reading 79 V. 2. Reading and public libraries 83 V. 2.1 Importance of libraries & leisure reading 83 V. 2.2 Reader Development & Advisory 84 V. 2.3 Reading groups 86 VI. Conclusions 92 VI. 1. Reading and wellbeing 92 VI. 2. Bibliotherapy and the library 92 VII. Recommendations for future research 94 Appendices 95 Appendix One: Questionnaire & Additional Findings from 95 Questionnaire Appendix Two: Observation Notes 102 Appendix Three: Question outline for focus groups, reflections 108 and analysed data Bibliography 149 I. Introduction I. 1. The concept of bibliotherapy The idea underlying bibliotherapy is anything but new and can, in fact, already be found in Ancient Greece where libraries were thought to have a healing influence on the soul (Riordan & Wilson, 1989). The term itself was introduced by Samuel Crothers in 1916 (Jack & Ronan, 2008; Jones, 2006). Bibliotherapy can be seen as “an umbrella term for related ideas for using books to help people with mental and physical health problems” (Brewster, 2008). It can take on different forms and be carried out in different settings. One distinction that has been made is that between self help and creative bibliotherapy (Brewster, 2007; Turner, 2008). Self help bibliotherapy, which has become widespread in recent years, usually involves book prescriptions by (mental) health professionals for particular health conditions. The library stocks the agreed titles, which the patient can pick up there. It is creative bibliotherapy though, which has been much less frequently used as part of a scheme1, which this research will focus on. I. 1.1 Creative bibliotherapy In creative bibliotherapy, fiction is used to promote mental health (Brewster, 2008). This can be done in a rather unstructured way, which includes the use of reading groups, recommendations from staff and displays. This approach has also been called informal bibliotherapy. Creative bibliotherapy’s underlying tenet is that literature has a powerful potential that can contribute to emotional healing. Storytelling seems to strike a deeply human chord with individuals, which in turn can lead to the development of constructive solutions to problems and the transformation of destructive, unhelpful feelings. The interaction between book and 1 There are currently only two creative bibliotherapy schemes in the UK, which are Reading and You (Rays) in Kirklees and Get into Reading in Merseyside (Turner, 2008). 1 reader with its underlying processes of meaning creation and imaginative ventures is thus of central interest to understand these effects. Creative bibliotherapy has received less research attention (Hodge et al., 2007) and is also much harder to empirically validate in its impact (Riordan & Wilson, 1989). I. 1.2 An extended definition of bibliotherapy This research aims to broaden definitions of bibliotherapy such as the one mentioned above by not restricting bibliotherapy to people suffering from mental health problems but by widening its application to anybody. The emphasis is thus shifted towards the use of fiction reading to increase people’s levels of wellbeing rather than to heal mental disorders. Wellbeing is associated with the cultivation of positive emotions such as joy, interest and contentment (Fredrickson, 2000). The latter thwart negative emotions that threaten to disable an individual and also broaden an individual’s way of thinking. As a result, an individual can build better resources for looking after themselves and for successfully confronting life’s various challenges. In this way “positive emotions are more than the absence of negative emotions” (Fredrickson, 2000), which can be compared to wellbeing being more than the absence of illness. Instead, wellbeing is linked to ‘a good life’ (Ereaut & Whiting, 2008), which is in all its subjectivity explicitly constructive and satisfying in nature. This shift towards wellbeing also emphasises the benefits and impact of fiction reading in general and not just in the case of mental ill health. Reading thus becomes central to people’s lives insofar as it can also maintain health and wellbeing. I. 1.3 Reading and public libraries Public libraries are particularly suited to foster individuals’ wellbeing through reading fiction and to thus pursue the practice of creative, informal bibliotherapy. They are public institutions that are open to anyone, with most of their services – especially reading services – being free. One of their main responsibilities has been and still is the provision of reading material and, particularly recently, reader- centred events. Public library services try to be as inclusive as possible so that 2 everybody should ideally have the opportunity to benefit from the perusal of free reading material and events. In order to maximise the positive impact on patrons’ wellbeing that reading in the context of public libraries can have it appears crucial though for librarians to understand the nature of the reading process. This study tries to show in what ways librarians need to be in close touch with their readers and their readers’ needs and what this means in the context of reader development. I. 2. Research question, aims and objectives I. 2.1 Research question: • In what way can literature improve patrons’ sense of wellbeing (provided that it does) in the public library context? I.
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