Baby Talk: Neonatal Intensive Care Reading Project

Thursday 29th August 2024. 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Delivered via Zoom

This project is a collaboration between public libraries and health libraries. The Neonatal Reading Project provides board books for loan to parents/carers and staff to read to neonatal intensive care babies while they are in the neonatal unit. The project was initiated in response to a clinical audit that showed neonatal ICU babies are at particular risk of reduced exposure to communication. Research has shown that reading to babies encourages language and cognitive development, bonding and overall wellbeing. The Health Librarian will discuss the background of the project, how it operates in practical terms with hospital staff, parents and carers; infection control issues; tracking and displaying the books. Library staff will discuss how they provided expert advice on baby board books selection for the project. The Library Service also provided information on the ‘Right to Read’ Programme including the promotion of ‘Little Library at Bedtime’ and the “Bedtime Reading Tips” leaflet aimed at 0– 4-year-olds. Library staff will discuss how they use this initiative to promote library services, e-resources, digital resources and all the benefits of joining the library. They will highlight an event that took place in the local library for ‘graduates’ from the neonatal unit. This gave parents/carers and neonatal staff the opportunity to meet socially as a group in a library setting.

There will be time at the end of the session for a Q&A so that you can put your questions forward to Ruth and Leona.

Webinar delivered via Zoom
FREE for Members.