The Reading Well for families’ collection, developed by The Reading Agency in partnership with Libraries Connected and Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) Cymru, recommends helpful reading on topics such as parental wellbeing, perinatal mental health problems (including anxiety, depression, OCD, and birth trauma), and coping with loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death).
Operating under the Better brand, GLL is the not-for-profit workers’ cooperative that runs Dudley Libraries on behalf of Dudley Council.
“These books are an important source of information for families during pregnancy and the early years of childhood,” said Stephanie Rhoden, Partnership Manager for Dudley Libraries. “The books can be borrowed for free from any Dudley Library, and our staff are very happy to help with advice on appropriate reading.”
The launch of Reading Well for families responds to an urgent need for accessible perinatal mental health resources. In England, monthly referrals for perinatal services have risen dramatically by 443% in the last eight years, from around 1,400 referrals a month in 2016 to more than 7,600 in 2024.
At least 1 in 5 women experience mental health problems during pregnancy and after birth, with anxiety and depression being the most common serious maternity health considerations affecting 10-15% of women.
Reading Well is a high-impact community intervention that delivers quality-assured information endorsed by health professionals. Previous Reading Well collections have shown remarkable success, with 91% of users finding their Reading Well book helpful, and 92% of health professionals reporting that the programme increased the range of support they could offer.
Reading Well for families joins the broader Reading Well Books on Prescription programme, which includes lists on mental health for adults, children and teens, and dementia. Since the programme's inception, more than 3.9 million Reading Well books have been borrowed across England and Wales, supporting individuals in managing their health and wellbeing through the power of reading.
The Books
The booklist available at all Dudley libraries includes titles addressing various family experiences, such as:
- You the Daddy: The Hands-On Dad's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and the Early Years ofFatherhood by Giles Alexander (Vie)
- Hello Baby, Goodbye Intrusive Thoughts: Stop the spiral of anxiety and OCD to reclaim wellness on your motherhood journey by Jenny Yip (New Harbinger)
- My Black Motherhood: Mental Health, Stigma, Racism and the System by Sandra Igwe (Jessica Kingsley Publishers)
- How to Help Someone After a Miscarriage by Clare Foster (Trigger Publishing)
Dudley libraries are Brierley Hill, Coseley, Cradley, Dudley, Halesowen, Kingswinford, Long Lane, Lye, Netherton, Sedgley, Stourbridge, Gornal and Wordsley.
For more information, visit better.org.uk/library/dudley.