At GHU Paris psychiatry and neurosciences, the “Around the book” project is a partnership with the city’s libraries.
In November 2023, the GHU Paris psychiatry and neurosciences and the Library and Book Service of the City of Paris signed a partnership agreement in order to “develop book culture at the heart of healthcare practices and promote the inclusion of users of all ages in the region by inviting them to frequent the libraries in their neighborhood”. Last June, a morning of discussions highlighted the deployment of this project, called “Around the book”.
Initially driven by the establishment's Reception and Hospitality Laboratory (Lab-ah), this partnership allows the City's 66 libraries and the 170 GHU Paris structures to offer users workshops in the services , library meetings, the creation of libraries in departments and privileged access to network libraries. Ultimately, it is a question of including cultural development in the care project, thus contributing to a better quality of patient care.
In practice, “Around the Book” has already enabled the implementation of numerous actions.
– Lecterns (photo) and other elements of furniture (book boxes) have been designed to present Books in intra- and extra-hospital services, to encourage the desire to read and encourage borrowing.
– A permanent and free collection of books, carefully selected, is now available and renewed at the GHU, from the central reserve of municipal and neighborhood libraries. After questioning caregivers and patients about the type of books desired, the Lab-ah teams strive to choose illustrated works (documentaries, photos, comics and mangas). Books are also offered in foreign languages.
– Introducing libraries to hospitalized patients can allow them to plan “for the future”. When they arrive at participating structures, users receive a reader card. The objective is that this place, which becomes familiar, remains so after hospitalization.
– Finally, library teams do not hesitate to call on the GHU to adapt their reception conditions to people with specific needs or to guide them in reacting to unpredictable actions by a user. Training adapted to their needs is being developed and will be offered in 2025.
• Contact: [email protected]. Photo: a lectern made by Lab-ah @ Lab-ah, GHU Paris
France
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