Bibliotherapy: an Overview and the Librarian's Role
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 131 426 CS 003 026 AUTHOR Chadbourne, Sherry P. TITLE Bibliotherapy: An Overview and the Librarian's Role. PUB PATE Sep 76 NOTE 42p. .EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$2.06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adolescent Literature; *Bibliotherapy; Childrens Books; Childrens Literature; Emotional Adjustment; *Librarians; *Library Role; Literature Reviews ABSTRACT This document describes a literature search on bibliotherapy, discusses historical development and current trends in bibliotherapy, details the educational aims of bibliotherapy, and explores the part librarians should play in bibliotherapy, particularly when working with children and adolescents. Also included are a selected, annotated bibliography of bibliotherapy, a list Of bibliographies of bibliotherapy, and a sample of books used in bibliotherapy under the following categories: ethnic groups, 'family relations, peer relationships, accepting oneself, adoption, adjusting to change, broken home, death, lacking confidence, overcoming fear, plumpness, poverty, positive self-image, recognizing, one's abilities, and religion. (JM) Bibliotherapy An Overview and the Librarian's Role Sherry P. Chadbourne Independent Study L893 Advisor: Dr. Rosemary Weber Drexel University September 1976 Bibliotherapy Literature Search The purpose of this literature search was to take a general look at the field of bibliotherapy -- the therapeutic value of books and reading; and to draw some conclusions as to the role pf the li-r brarian in a bibliotherapeutic program, particularly when workj.ng with children and adolescents; The initial steps in searching for information on the topic of bibliotherapy began with a computer search of the'data bank at the Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC) and a search of the card catalog at.Drexél University. Eric produced a long print-ott of .journal articles pertaining to the various aspects of biblio- therapy while„the card catalog produced very little. This was the first clue to the fact that there have been many articles written on the subject of bibliotherapy but very few books. Subsequent searches were made of the card/book catalogs of the libraries at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Kansas and Kansas State College; as well as the Free Library of Philadelphia and the public libraries of Känsas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri. No additional books on bibliotherap were found. The nature of the articles found through ERIC led to the search ing of not only Library :Literature (Wil,son) for aditional material, but also the subject index to Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE) (MacMillan) and the Education Index (Wilson). All three had an entry for "bibliotherapy" and the list of journal articles began to grow.. Psychological Abstracts (Américah Psychological Association) also includes an entry covering articles on bibliotherapy found in journals of psychology and sociology. -However, the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, checked for the last ten yèars,-offered no entry for•bibliotherapy. Articles on bibliotherapy can•also be found in níedical journal byQsear6hing Index Medicus. but this area 'was not searched beyond, reading articles cited in other papers. .any on the artigles n bibliotherapy from-the medical field come out in'Medic al Library , Association literature and. are included in Library Literature. Tn searching for Master's theses and Doctoral dissertaticns on the subject of bibliotherapy it was discovered that there have riot,' been as malty written on the subject as one would think. due'•to the lack of scientific study in the area; cbnsequentl there 'isi very little special data from investigations and experimentation from which one can teport ur compare in a paper. The early 1950's saw ' a few dissertations written on the theory pf.biblibtherapy and the need-for further investigation; by the 1960's the trend had switched, to papers written on bibliotherapy in school settings ---centering on the library or classroom The best source of dissertations qn bibliotherapy is Doctoral Dissertations on Bibliotherapy: An Annotated List by H.L.. Narang (ED 110961), but trying. to locate one of thése utipublished gapers for reading is not an easy task. Both Doctoral Dissertations in library Science --.Titles Accepted by Accredited Library Schools. 1930-1972 (Eyman, David H. complier.. Ann Arbor: Xerox University Microfilms, 1973). and Library Science Dissettations, 1925-1972 -- An Annotated Bibliography (Sohlachter and.Thomison. Littleton, Colorado: Libraries.Unlimited, 1974) list only one dissertation on the subject of bibliotherapy and that having to do With the effect of bibliotherapy, on. the attitudes of adult inmates in two correctional institutions. Bibliotherapy is' not being explored only in America but :the e is interest in developing bibliotherapeutic programs in other countries as well. Foreign programs and theo es were .not investigated'for this paper because,,of the lack of available sources of pertient literature as well 'as the language barrier. The time span for this search was first set at ten years but after getting into the literature on bibliotherapy it was decided to do away with a time limit altogether. Many of the newer articles on bibliotherapy simply "rehash" and cite much earlier articles and it ' was felt some of these first articles' on the subject must be read'in hopes,of,getting a clearer, picture of .the development of, bibliotherapy. A "sameness" prevades many of the articles written~on bibli- therapy -- a brief definition and history of the development of,biblio therapy, is given; the authof's theory of the value of biblitherepy in either a clinical or library/classroom situation is presented; and in-some, the special training of the bibliotherapist along with criteria for selection of materiels is discussed. All material examined,'conveyed the idea ,that the importance and future significance of bibliotherapy should not be under-estimated; although most articles included a note of caution and some even dis- cussed possible adverse effects df administering bibliotherapy to mentally and emotionally disturbed patients. The general feeling while making this sgarch was that I was "off in all directions" , and needed to pull everything together; that may have been thg case, but after comPleting the search I de- cided it is bibliotherapy that is off running in all. 'directions and 'needs to be pulled together and given structure. Bibliotherapy:. An Ovetview an the Librarian's Role ' .Before teking.a look at the historical development and'current trends in the. field of bibliotherapy, if it is indeed a field, it is necessary to define exactly what is meant by the word "bibliotherapy" Say the word to the average man on theç. treet, or even to many libra- rians and members of the medical profession and they will lools at you as if you have just. arrived from another planet.. ,It is not difficult to.analyze the word "bibliotherapy" and'come up with the meaning "book therápy" but whatexá ctly is means when we talk about trie therapeutic value gfbooks? A re we práciicing bibliotheray,.on ourselves 41en after a hard .dáy we• crawl into bed with a light•nvel #n order t relax and bring on sleep; or is„there more to'this business of bibliotherapy? A leading dictionary, Webstàr'sThird New International Dictionary, defines bibliotherapy as the use of selected reading materials.as therapeutic adjuvants in'tnedicine and in psychiatry; a1015 guidance 'in the solution of 'personal, problems through directed reading". Another definition and the one most quoted in the literature is a compositd definition of bibliotherapy based- on a questionnaire sent to doctors, psychologists and librarians 'y the Committee on Bib-.. lioth rapy, while doing a study for.the'Associa tion of Hospitial and Institutional Libraries ( a branch of the American Library Association). l"Bibliotherapy", Webster's Third New International Dictionary Springfieldeld, Mass., G. 8~ C. Merriam Company, 1~j71, p. 212.: Bibliotherapy is a program of selected activity involving reading materials, planned, conducted and controlled as treatment under" the guidangqe eof•th physician for emotional an0 other problets. * It must be administered by a ski1léd professionally---trained librarian within-the pre- scribed purpose and goals. .The important•anddy- namic factors are the relationships whichare es= tablished, the patient's'reactions and responses, and the réporting back to the ,physicián for, nter- pretation, evaluation and directions for follow-up. , This' second definition of bibliothe apy represents the medical aspects and seems to be searching for the development of an exact ..scientific procedure; while the definition in Webster's Third is broader and places bibliotherapy-On two levels, thelfirst being' reading associated with medicine and psychiatry and the-Second sug- gesting.the non-medical aspects such äs reading guidance by teachers, counselors, social workers; correctional nstitutioh officials, librarians or other "qualified" individuals striving to help others solve theirperbonal problems through reading. This brings up the question that prevails throughout the literature on bibliotherapy --- Should bibliotherapy be considered, a "science"•or an "art"? As a "science", bïbliotherápy would be cpncerned with pre- soribing selected reading in the treatment of actual mental or physi•éal llesa by à tra;ned bibliotherapist; whereas the attempt to remedy personàlity defects or help an individual solve personal problems through"reading