Bibliotherapy in the Wilderness

Abstract

This study investigated how LIS professionals and health practitioners have adopted bibliotherapy and relevant information services to enhance mental health issues in Nigeria since 1962 to date. The study adopted a narrative research design of qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews using audio recordings and personal observations/interactions by the researchers were the instruments for data collection. The researchers collected data from three purposively selected academics whose areas of expertise cut across library and information science and psychiatry. The data collected were presented in a narrative form, with insertion of verbatim transcriptions where nuanced expressions were identified. The findings from the study revealed that bibliotherapy is used by clinical psychologists in neuropsychiatric hospitals in Nigeria; however, LIS professionals do not have the knowledge and adequate skills to practise bibliotherapy. The study recommends that the time is ripe for NLA to pragmatically implement recommendations that the LIS curricula in Nigerian library schools be diversified and expanded to incorporate valuable realms like bibliotherapy.