The team at Redbridge Libraries add to their growing number of awards for their innovative, sensitive and creative approach to dealing with the difficult subject of death.

Vision RCL’s Libraries team was delighted to win an award for ‘Health & Wellbeing’ at the first ever awards event hosted by Libraries Connected, a membership organisation for public libraries in the UK. The ceremony aimed to recognise and celebrate the achievements of library staff over the past year.

Redbridge Libraries and its partners received the award for their ground-breaking work on the innovative project, The Death Positive Library. They were recognised for promoting the role of libraries as powerful and compassionate spaces to support conversations around death, dying and bereavement and the way the team developed its services and went beyond expectations to provide essential services to residents during lockdown.

Gareth Morley Head of Culture & Libraries said:

“We are delighted that the work of the Vision Redbridge Libraries has been recognised for this prestigious award. The team have demonstrated determination, creativity and innovation in tackling this difficult subject during these very challenging times. This award joins the many others that the library service has received in recent years and we are so incredibly proud of their efforts.”

The Death Positive Library Project is a collaboration between Redbridge Libraries, Kirklees Libraries in Yorkshire, Newcastle Libraries and a research team from Northumbria University made up of Dr Stacey Pitsillides in the School of Design and Dr Claire Nally in the Department of Humanities.

The project explores the role of public libraries as compassionate, safe and trusted spaces to support conversations about a topic that is often considered taboo by many. The idea of a death positive library service, where people can talk about all aspects of death and bereavement was started by Redbridge Libraries in 2017 through the Final Party project, long before the current COVID-19 pandemic was on anyone’s radar.

Carol Stump, President of Libraries Connected said:

“I am so proud of the award winners and all that they have achieved for their library services. However, this work is just a snapshot of all the fantastic work that has been delivered at libraries around the country over the past 18 months.”

Over the last year, Vision’s libraries team have created a supportive and safe space for people to come together to share their stories and fears about death and loss. This was offered via a series of online book events, film screenings, reading lists, and virtual cafes. There have also been opportunities to hear from writers such as Dr Kathryn Mannix and Kevin Toolis who have written about death and grief. These events have been especially important for those residents who have suffered a bereavement.

Most recently, Redbridge libraries have launched a digital experience called Tickets for the Afterlife which explores a range of choices for what to do with your body, memories and legacies that span the past, present, future of death and dying. The installation is available to experience at Redbridge Central Library until Friday 19 November or online from home.

The Death Positive Library Project and Tickets for the Afterlife is funded by the Wellcome Trust, Carnegie UK, and The Wolfson Foundation, Engaging Libraries Phase 2. 

For more information about the project, visit The Death Positive Library webpage.