Calling Libraries in Wales!
The Welsh Books Council have announced that, following the receipt of financial support from Welsh Government, a fund is available to each local authority to carry out an activity or event to support libraries and Reading Well for families.
Books Council Wales invites library authorities to apply for the sum of at least £700 per authority by completing the form below and return by 25 July: https://forms.office.com/e/2pm0C78mcQ
Last month, The Reading Agency, in partnership with Libraries Connected and Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) Cymru, announced the launch of Reading Well for families, with a new booklist available across public libraries in England and Wales. The scheme recommends helpful reading to support the mental health and wellbeing of families during pregnancy and the early years (from conception to age two).
The new Reading Well for families collection arrives at a time of unprecedented demand for perinatal mental health support. Monthly referrals for perinatal services in England have risen dramatically from around 1,400 referrals a month in 2016 to more than 7,600 in 2024. At least 1 in 5 women experience mental health problems during pregnancy and after birth, with anxiety and depression being the most common serious maternity health considerations affecting 10-15% of women. In Wales, almost 9,000 new mothers experience perinatal mental health problems each year.
The booklist is available in multiple formats including eBooks and audiobooks. In Wales, the scheme is delivered bilingually in collaboration with Books Council of Wales. The booklist also includes an original Welsh-language title Darn Bach o’r Haul edited by Rhiannon Williams.
Titles can be borrowed for free from local public libraries, where staff have been equipped with resources to guide families to appropriate reading. Additional digital tools, such as a promotional toolkit, case for support, and interactive leaflet, are available online for community and health partners.
Reading Well for families joins the broader Reading Well Books on Prescription programme, which includes lists for mental health, children, teens, and dementia. Since the programme’s inception, more than 3.9 million Reading Well books have been borrowed across England and Wales, supporting individuals in managing their health and wellbeing through the power of reading.
Explore the Reading Well for families book collection
If you require any further information or support in the meantime, please contact: darllenynwell@llyfrau.cymru.