Wellbeing Collections in UK Academic Libraries

Abstract

Academic libraries in the UK are playing a more prominent role in the mental health and wellbeing of students. Wellbeing collections have emerged as one way to do this but are under-researched. The aim of this paper is to investigate the development of wellbeing collections at UK institutions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of participants at six different UK universities, each with varying strategic priorities, budgets, and student demographics. Data about each collection was also analyzed. The collections had all been created in the last five years. They varied significantly in the range of content. All were based on extensive collaborations, but student involvement was low. All were actively promoted through multiple channels. A more systematic evaluation of these collections would support greater recognition of wellbeing support by libraries, but this is inhibited by limited resources and a lack of clarity of definition of wellbeing.