Social prescribing & public libraries: a natural fit
Public libraries play a crucial role in supporting community health and wellbeing through various programs, services, and resources. In Victoria, our public libraries have over two million members and receive 30 million visits annually. They provide safe spaces, support digital literacy, offer health and wellbeing services such as meditation and yoga, enlist specialist health professionals to deliver free information sessions, and provide credible health information through their collections and community noticeboards.
Loneliness and social isolation can pose a bigger risk for premature death than smoking, particularly affecting people over 75 and those aged 15–25. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased rates of loneliness and social isolation, particularly in Victoria where we experienced the longest lockdowns and restrictions on movement than anywhere else in the world.
As noted in Libraries for Health and Wellbeing: a strategic framework for Victorian public libraries towards 2024, there is a need to invest in disease prevention and health promotion to break the cycle of increasing demand for healthcare services. Place-based services and solutions are important in providing integrated, local health and wellbeing support. Enter libraries and social prescribing.
