Introduction: bibliotherapy in the Australian context

An integral part of the evolution of bibliotherapy in Australia has been the development of partnerships with local organizations across sectors including community-aged care, residential-aged care, mental health, health, carers and public housing to deliver reading groups in community settings. Initial contact showed that local community-based service providers were attracted to the idea of branching out and working with others through a partnership with their local library. This chapter examines the role of collaborations in bibliotherapy focusing on a partnership developed between State Library Victoria and Prague House, a low-care residential facility of St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Prague House offers specialized care in a home-like environment for its residents who mostly experience chronic mental illness and have backgrounds of homelessness. Prague House, as a low-care facility, offers residential support for people who still enjoy mobility and a degree of independence; their care needs are low, in contrast to people who require a high degree of assistance with mobility and personal care, and therefore a higher ratio of nursing and care staff.

At Prague House, a weekly reading group was introduced in 2010 and delivered by Susan McLaine, a leading advocate and provider of bibliotherapy in Australia. The reading group was facilitated by Susan along with Elizabeth Mackenzie, Prague House Activities and Wellbeing Programme Coordinator. Prague House is home to 45 male and female residents, many of whom have experienced homelessness or are at risk of it. Many of the residents experience chronic mental illness or have an alcoholrelated acquired brain injury, and may have cognitive impairment as a consequence.

In planning the reading group, we took into account the routines of the care facility and scheduled the group around morning teatime, an unalterable ritual for residents living in this care facility. Approximately eight participants regularly attended the reading group each week, with others dropping in and out at times, depending on their health or as people entered or left the facility. Extra care was taken to provide fresh coffee and biscuits as familiar and comforting features of morning teatime, as well as a warm welcome and sense of inclusion. Taking the time to set up the room before the group members arrive provided seamless movement from coffee and biscuits to sitting down with the readings easily accessible from each chair.