This document discusses initiatives at West College Scotland to support student wellbeing through their library services. It outlines staff training in areas like mental health first aid. The libraries curate collections on wellbeing topics and host events centered around mental health. Future goals include expanding wellbeing collections and creating flexible library spaces to accommodate different activities and events focused on student mental wellbeing.

1. Supporting
wellbeing in FE
COLLECTIONS, COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY
JOY MCLEAN
SENIOR LIBRARIAN

2. Context
Think Positive (NUS Scotland)
• Student Mental Health Agreement Project
Appointment of a Student Wellbeing Advisor
• Gie’s a Break Wellbeing Café

3. West College Scotland
• Full-time,
• Part-time,
• Distance learning
22,100 students
• Clydebank
• Greenock
• Finnart Street
• Waterfront
• Paisley
3 locations, 4 libraries

4. Staff development
 Scottish Mental Health First Aid
 CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of
Mental Health Problems
 Introduction to Mindfulness
 Helping Learners with Mental Health
Problems

5. Collections
• Curriculum-mapped academic and
vocational textbooks
• Wellbeing
• Fiction
• Graphic Novels
• Local History
• Digital collections
A holistic
collection to
support the
wider student
experience:

6. Wellbeing collection
Mental Health
Relaxation and Mindfulness
Diet and nutrition
Sport and fitness
Arts and crafts

7. Events
World Book Night
• Free copies of The
Recovery Letters
Libraries Week
• Wellbeing Cafes
Book Week Scotland
• Author talk by Vikki
Gemmell

8. Next steps
Development of
Wellbeing print and
digital collections
Flexible spaces for
reading/activities/
events
CPD for all library
staff

9. References
 https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62881773/wcs-annual-review-2019
 https://www.thinkpositive.scot/projects/smha/
 http://www.smhfa.com/
 https://reading-well.org.uk/
 http://www.librariesweek.org.uk/
 https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/book-week-scotland
 https://worldbooknight.org/