Mental Health - Information Matters

Library and Information Science scholars and practitioners have been trained to maintain their libraries and knowledge centers as “Silence Zones.” The pandemic has made humans realize the importance of mental health and well-being. However, the topic still needs more awareness and breaking the taboo around it. In this special issue, we invite authors to share their experiences and insights on how MH&W and Mindfulness can become part of essential library services.

Featured Professional Development

February 6, 2025 Twanna Hodge

From Reflection to Action: Redefining Your Mental Health

Intentional reflection is essential to understanding what affects mental health. First, empower yourself by understanding the historical, systematic, social, economic, and cultural factors that shape your life. Then, delve into your social and cultural identities, including societal perceptions about mental health and well-being.

Featured Original

October 10, 2024 A. Miller

Healthcare UX: A Case for Inclusive Designs that Impacts Aging and Anxiety

Applying inclusive design for holistic wellness, aging, and mental health reduces elements that may aggravate symptoms of a challenge, disability, or some stress-inducing factors. This Healthcare UX design approach is a process of creating a digital experience that addresses the needs of healthcare users, including healthcare patients and their providers, plus the families and caregivers of the healthcare-services users. The bottom line is that whatever the ailment or healthcare goal is, digital healthcare products should be intuitive, effective, and useful so people get the care they need. This article looks at how healthcare can apply UX design to overcome or prevent potential challenges and frustrations from using technologies for health-related reasons.

Featured Translation

June 12, 2024 Irene Lopatovska

Take Care of Yourself

Studies show an increase in pandemic and post-pandemic burnout caused by transition to new teaching or research modes, increased emotional labor required to support students, colleagues and families, uncertain work conditions, unbalanced research, teaching and service expectations, and other factors (Dali et al., 2023; Douglas et al., 2022; Harris, et al., 2024; McClure & Fryar, 2022). During the recent iConference’24, we organized a panel to share faculty’s post-pandemic experiences and identify strategies for improving faculty mental health and well-being.

Education

October 23, 2023 Sigy George

The Dark Side of India’s Education System: The Silent Suffering of Its Youth

This article delves into the pervasive and concerning issue of the intense pressure on Indian children to excel academically. Within India’s highly competitive education system, the pursuit of top grades and entrance exam scores is akin to a high-stakes game, leaving students grappling with anxiety attacks, low self-confidence, depression, and, tragically, suicidal tendencies. The proliferation of coaching institutes in places like Kota exacerbates this pressure, pushing young minds to their breaking point. This article sheds light on the harrowing consequences of this relentless race for marks and calls for urgent reforms, emphasizing the need to prioritize holistic development, mental health support, and a nurturing environment for India’s youth.

Translation

February 13, 2023 Sigy George

Bibliotherapy in School and the role of School Librarians

Bibliotherapy is a type of therapy that makes use of literature to assist clients in resolving emotional, interpersonal, or behavioural issues. It is a strategy for using reading to advance mental health and wellbeing. From private consultations with a mental health expert to reading circles facilitated by a school librarian, bibliotherapy can take many different forms. The books used in bibliotherapy are specifically selected to address the issues that the individual or group is dealing with.