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How to effectively develop and promote dementia services
THIS book takes a per- son-centred approach – tailoring services to individuals’ needs and preferences – and empha- sises that living well with dementia is possible with the right support. The contribution libraries can have in supporting both those with dementia and those who care for them is also stressed.
Sufficient information is in- cluded about the wide-ranging nature of dementia symptoms and consequent challenges, giving useful context whether the reader is new to dementia or comes with prior knowl- edge. Information about national policies and charities situates library approaches within the broader context. It is informative for individuals as well as for libraries looking to develop support in this area. It highlights how distinct types of dementia can lead to different challenges, and how that impacts on the type of support people may need such as navigation of buildings, orientation within spaces and reading skills. I liked the author’s description of ‘walking the patch,’ where spending time with people with dementia in places they frequent can be a powerful engagement tool.
Taking a relaxed approach – with the person with dementia setting the pace – is helpful and means activities may need to be less planned than usual to give the space needed. Tips are promoted, such as being calm, listening carefully,
52 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
An insightful collection celebrating the art of handwritten letters
MOST large libraries have incidental collections of ephemera and the Bodleian is no exception.
McNicol, S. Supporting people to live well with dementia: a guide for library services. London. Facet Publishing, 2023. 198pp. ISBN 978 1 7833 0597 1. £55. CILIP members: 35% discount at
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
focusing on one idea at a time, and offering to show rather than tell someone how to do something. Practical responses could involve developing sen- sory spaces, having easy-to-fol- low layouts, and clear contrast on signs. With reading you can have simplified texts, step-by- step books, shared memory bags and shared reading. Memory cafes, digital jigsaws and partnership working are also initiatives that can be introduced. The book ends by encouraging libraries with ten actions they can take towards creating dementia friendly libraries.
Suzie Williams
Academic Liaison Librarian, University of Sunderland
Lesley Smith has delved into this treasure trove of letters, photographs and manuscripts and produced a captivating collection of 76 short illustrated accounts of 99 of the great and the good at home and abroad. It is arranged into broad subjects: the Tudor court; reformers; poets and novelists; friends and rivals; scientists; travellers and adventurers; composers; writers for children; families; scribes and calligraphers; spies and detectives. It is not restrict- ed to prominent Britons as Einstein, Mendelssohn, Ghandi and Luther also appear. The earliest handwritten entry is by Maimonides from 1180. Every one of the entries has a fasci- nating story to tell, revealing why it was written.
Predictably, the great and the good of l history are represent- ed, including Samuel Pepys, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and George Eliot alongside many others. Lady Byron’s cor- respondence with her daughter Ada Lovelace is revealed, as is E. Nesbit’s justification of her refusal to endorse the Concil- iation Bill. Of course, plenty of warm and constructive letters appear, such as Alan Bennett’s suggested corrections to the Wind in the Willows. Reveal- ing insights emerge. PD James suggests that Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Josephine Tey were all snobs and Shirley Williams expresses her relief at
Smith, Leslie. Handwritten: remarkable people on the page. Oxford: Bodleian Library Publishing 2023. 320pp. ISBN 978 1 8512 495 6. £35.
losing her parliamentary seat in 1979.
The work is distinguished by its excellent illustrations. These range from photographs to musical scores, sketch maps and typescripts and even a diagram of the molecular structure of penicillin.
Children also feature. A fragment of a 2nd-3rd century parchment letter from young Theon to his father is an early example. Edward VI’s practice runs at his signature are reveal- ing and there is an illustrated postcard from Franz Kafka to his sister.
The wide range of personali- ties featured and its attractive format make this book a delight to browse and its modest price make it an ideal gift.
Diana Dixon Oakham
October-November 2024
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