The Benefits of Bibliotherapy

Many of us read books for pure enjoyment, entertainment, or interest in a subject.  Some of us read books for therapeutic reasons, otherwise known as bibliotherapy. 

At times you may be going through a rough spell, whether it's a divorce, the death of a loved one, or a serious illness in the family.  Other times you might feel like you're the last single woman on earth or the only nerdy guy around who doesn't have six-pack abs.  We all want to feel that there are other people around who have experienced what we're experiencing, that we're not alone in this thing called life.  We want to see that there are people just like us out there and learn how they handle predicaments.  This is at the heart of bibliotherapy.

The whole purpose of bibliotherapy is to make yourself feel better about yourself and your outlook through reading books.  You may possibly find helpful fiction through a friend, librarian, television program, or on your own.  You may also find some useful non-fiction, self-help books through a therapist, counselor, or some other professional to help you understand and deal with a situation you're facing.

And bibliotherapy is for everyone.  It's not something that's reserved strictly for adults.  Many teachers and schools are using bibliotherapy to help young children and teens with different issues, from expecting a baby brother or sister to bullying.  It's a way to address a subject and bring it out into the open, making it easier for youngsters to discuss what they're feeling.

Bibliotherapy is a growing area, and there are some great websites that have bibliotherapy book lists on various topics:

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

The Guardian

Library Booklists

VA Bibliotherapy Resource Guide

Whether your bibliotherapy is entertaining or deep, may it be enlightening and spiritually uplifting!

Positively yours from the perch.

The Internet Public Library

I'm sure you've all missed me when I was off the perch nursing a cold last week.  How you managed without a new blog post from yours truly is a mystery to me.  Happily, I'm back with a new post to brighten up your day!  Please remain calm; don't get too excited.

As some of you may know, from time to time I tell you about interesting websites for your research, enrichment, or amusement.  Well, the website I'm sharing with you today covers all three of those categories.  It's the Internet Public Library (a.k.a. IPL2) and there are adult, teen, and child versions of it.

What's so special about the IPL2?  If you've ever felt flabbergasted searching for information on the Internet and weren't sure if some websites were trustworthy, the IPL2 is there to come to your aid.  The website is put together by library information students as well as other library and information professionals who have combed the web for sites that are dependable. 

If you know what you need, you can just type keywords in the search box and you'll be given a list of reliable links to websites and articles included in the IPL2.  If you just want to have some fun and browse around, you can check things out by subject or you can get links to newspapers and magazines  around the world.  Personally, I get a kick looking up trivia information on states through the Special Collections.  Can't stump me if you ask what is the state with the lowest population density!

So, check out the IPL2 if you have a school project to do or just want to kill some time.  You'll be glad you did. 

Brushing up on trivia on the perch.