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Previously funded NOHF project: Improving wellbeing spaces at Bodleian Health Care Libraries

This report highlights the successful implementation and positive impact of the library wellbeing bid. We are grateful for the funding which has allowed us to enhance the learning and wellbeing environment for all members of the Oxford Medical School.

Report written by Owen Coxall, Deputy Head of MSD and MPLS Libraries.

This bid aimed to enhance the learning and wellbeing environment for both Oxford Clinical Medical Students and clinicians across the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, by providing comfortable, relaxed seating areas, and a collection of books to be used for relaxation, rather than study. 

 

Comfortable seating area and wellbeing book collection at the Cairns LibraryComfortable seating area and wellbeing book collection at the Cairns Library 

 The funding enabled us to replace existing furniture and divider panels in the Cairns Library, creating a more spacious and brighter environment conducive to both focused study and social interaction. In the NOC Library, we introduced a dedicated relaxed seating area, providing a much-needed space for respite and peer interaction.

 

Comfortable seating area

 

Wonderful place to study. Very calm and peaceful

Across all libraries, we established a curated collection of books and resources focused on mood-boosting and mental health, offering valuable support for student and staff wellbeing. This was based on a collection our staff had worked on during COVID, with recommendations form staff, students and library users.

  

Example of books selected 

Linda Geddes Chasing the sun : the new science of sunlight and how it shapes our bodies and minds

Alan Garner The Owl Service

Jonathan Bate The shepherd's hut : poems

Homer The Odyssey

J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the rings

Terry Pratchett Lords and Ladies

Jane Austin Emma

Evelyn Waugh Brideshead Revisited

Olivia Laing The Lonely City : Adventures in the Art of Being Alone

Thomas Hardy Tess of the d'Urbervilles

TJ Klune The house in the Cerulean Sea

Charlie Mackesy The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse
The enhanced spaces have significantly improved the overall environment by providing quiet and comfortable spaces for focused study and research, facilitating social interaction and peer support among students and staff. These spaces are at present quite limited across the hospitals, so it has been wonderful to be able to provide a place for our users to relax away from the busy wards and departments. The wellbeing book collections have been well used, and as well as the potential to support mental and emotional wellbeing, offer a break from screens and other electronic devices.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Trustees for their generous support of this project. Their contribution has allowed us to improve our spaces for the benefit of our students and staff. We are committed to ensuring that these enhanced facilities continue to serve the needs of the medical school community for years to come. 

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