Abstract
In the 19th and 20th centuries, libraries were a common amenity in psychiatric hospitals, particularly private ones. This paper sheds new light on the history of these libraries in inpatient psychiatric treatment centers. The prevailing medical philosophy held that occupation and moderate intellectual stimulation were important for recovery, a mode of thought culminating in the 20th century bibliotherapy movement. This is not a clinical study, and it assumes no stance on the therapeutic value of reading. Instead, it is a historical study of libraries in inpatient psychiatric centers: how these libraries were curated; how patient libraries, throughout their history, responded to concerns about content and censorship; and the role gender and class play in the way materials were made available to patients.
Recommended Citation
Jessica Buckey, MLIS
(2024)
"Historical Use of Libraries in Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment in the United Kingdom,"
SLIS Connecting: Vol. 12:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
DOI: 10.18785/slis.1202.05
Available at:
https://aquila.usm.edu/slisconnecting/vol12/iss2/5
Included in
Archival Science Commons, Collection Development and Management Commons, Information Literacy Commons, Scholarly Communication Commons, Scholarly Publishing Commons
