Supporting People to Live Well with Dementia: A Guide for Library Services

Libraries have enormous potential to support people with dementia and their carers, and demand for dementia-friendly library services is only likely to increase in the future as the numbers of people affected by dementia rise and there is greater emphasis on community-based care. Taking action to create a dementia-friendly library can initially feel like a massive undertaking, but small changes can make a big difference. Supporting People to Live Well with Dementia describes how to effectively develop, promote and evaluate services for people with dementia. It provides readers with an understanding of the different ways in which library customers may be affected by dementia, and an appreciation of some of the ways they can continue to contribute positively to their communities. It then suggests ways in which libraries can better support people with dementia and their carers through approaches to customer service, design, resources, reading interventions, online provision and a range of other activities that promote more positive and inclusive attitudes towards people living with dementia amongst library staff, customers and communities more widely.