Greendale Public Library establishes mental health collection for teen readers

As part of the Village of Greendale’s “Healthy Mind, Healthy Greendale” community health initiative, the public library has established a mental health collection.

The collection includes a variety of resources, both fiction and nonfiction, about various mental health topics such as anxiety, bipolar disorder and eating disorders. All of the resources are targeted toward a middle reader or teen audience.

“Mental health is stigmatized in society, and I think by having a collection that focuses on mental health and provides lists so that if you are going through a troubling time, you can see that somebody relates to you and what they did to help them with the symptoms is so important,” Megan Reddin, teen services librarian at Greendale Public Library, said.

The World Health Organization reported in 2021 that globally one in seven 10- to 19-year-olds experience a mental disorder. WHO also reported that depression and anxiety were among the leading causes of illness among those in that age group.

The collection is part of a Greendale effort to improve residents' mental well-being

“Healthy Mind, Healthy Greendale” is a part of the village's larger Community Health Improvement Plan that’s looking to improve the mental well-being of Greendale residents through different support groups and resources, such as the collection at the library.

“As somebody who has struggled with mental health, I find it really important that we have something for teens, because there wasn't anything for me when I was a teen, so I want something for them that’s impactful,” Reddin said.

The mental health collection is not confined to just the library walls. Sandy Speare, library media specialist at Greendale Middle School, is making sure her students are aware of the collection.

Throughout the school year she meets with students weekly or biweekly and nearly every time goes through the public library’s website with them.

“I really want them to see themselves as public library users, because while it's really important that they have access to the school libraries, their public library is for life … I don't think people realize the vast resources at a public library. It’s my little side mission to make children aware of that,” Speare said.

Care is taken in deciding what's included in the collection

However, both Speare and Reddin agree that formulating collections for the age group entails a lot. Librarians have to think about the books that they pick, as well as staying on top of literary trends to make sure they have books that readers want.

In terms of middle schoolers and teens, having a collection with a variety of reading levels is also something that needs to be taken in consideration. For books about mental health and other challenging topics, librarians have to consider whether or not the material is appropriate for the age group.

All while dealing with space and budget constraints, and in Speare’s case, ensuring all books follow guidelines from the school district.

“(Formulating a collection is) quite the process, it's not something we take lightly … we really need to have our collection in terms of representing everybody, because libraries are for everybody, which is something else that I stress to the kids” Speare said.

Speare also teaches her students how to cross reference and see if the school library happens to have any of the resources listed by the public library.

The two libraries also worked together on a 'readathon'

The collaboration between the two libraries isn’t new. Last fall, the libraries collaborated on a “readathon” where kids could read books in exchange for various prizes. Speare said around 65 kids attended.

Whether it’s the middle school or public library, both librarians agree that it’s all about reaching out to students and letting them know what’s available to them.

“I see teens every week, and just building those connections after school, going and saying hi, and not just reprimanding them for being loud,” Reddin said. "Just letting them know that we have this collection, so if they are ever having an issue, they know about it.”

Megan Woolard can be reached at MWoolard@gannett.com or on Twitter @MeganWoolard4.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Greendale Public Library offers mental health collection for teens