The lovely colleagues in our Library at CRH have launched a brand-new wellbeing collection to help support colleagues' health, wellbeing and personal development. The collection features a wide range of books, covering topics such as mental health, healthy lifestyles, menopause, periods and pregnancy, personal finance, neurodiversity, race and religion, LGBTQ+, and working in healthcare.

Colleagues are welcome to borrow books from the library at The Learning Centre – and the library team can also deliver to anyone based at HRI or in the community. Library users can also now log in to Libby using OpenAthens to access the collection of e-books and audiobooks. Libby can be accessed via the web or downloaded as an app on Android or Apple, making the collection available at any time, from anywhere.

Library Manager, Madeline Hannah, said: "We are delighted to launch our new wellbeing collection for colleagues. The Library has always provided a welcoming space where staff can work, relax or study. Offering a dedicated wellbeing collection means we can now support colleagues in even more ways, providing trusted resources on a range of topics that affect our personal and professional lives."

The collection has been developed with input from colleagues across the Trust to ensure it reflects the interests, experiences and needs of our workforce.

Senior Library Technician, Hannah Desmond, said: “A huge thank you to everyone who helped shape this collection. We wanted to create something that was genuinely useful to CHFT colleagues, so colleague feedback played an important role in selecting the books. We’re particularly grateful to the Race Equality Network, who gave us some great suggestions for our Race and Religion section.”

OD Practitioner, Chloe Goodwin, recently visited the wellbeing space in the library. She said: "The wellbeing collection is a fantastic initiative that demonstrates our commitment to supporting colleague wellbeing. It's wonderful to see the space that Madeline and Hannah have created. The Library is the perfect place to encourage relaxation, reflection and personal wellbeing, helping colleagues to take a moment for themselves amidst the demands of everyday working life."

How to explore the collection

Colleagues can browse the collection by:

• Viewing physical books on YorCat: Wellbeing Collection – Physical Books
• Exploring e-books and audiobooks on Libby: CHFT Libby

Join the Library

To borrow books, colleagues will need to become Library members. Signing up is quick and easy via Library Registration Form. Once registered, colleagues can borrow books, reserve items online and access a wide range of library resources.

If colleagues have any questions or feedback for the Library team, please email them at library@cht.nhs.uk and a member of the team will get back to them.