Books in the pharmacy in Barletta: how the Bibliofarmacia works

Even a novel can help heal the soul. An “author’s pill” can accompany those who are going through a moment of anxiety, stress, anger, sadness or the need to regain self-esteem. And, in Barletta, that “pill” can also be picked up at the pharmacy. It does not contain active principles, but words, quotes, bookmarks, reading advice and small literary “leaflets” designed to guide the reader towards the book best suited to the state of mind he is experiencing. This is the goal of “Literary BiblioPharmacy”the project promoted by “Sabino Loffredo” municipal library of Barletta in collaboration with Euro&Promoswhich builds a bridge between books, well-being and places of proximity. The idea is to take reading outside the perimeter of the library and bring it to the neighbourhoods, through a network of six city pharmacies, one per neighbourhood, equipped with a dedicated display and called upon to become points of contact between citizens and the library.

The project starts from a simple belief: reading does not replace medical care, it is not a clinical therapy and it does not claim to provide answers to what requires specialist paths. However, it can become a form of accompaniment, a gentle tool for recognizing an emotion, going through a difficult moment, finding words when words are lacking.

The “Remedies Shelf” with leaflets for stress and anger

The heart of the initiative will be the newspaper library of the Castle Library, where the “Remedies Shelf”. Here the books will not be organized only by author or genre, but by emotion, need, mood. Each “symptom” will correspond to a possible path: books for anger, sadness, stress, self-esteem, change. Each volume will be accompanied by a literary “leaflet”, constructed with the language of drug information leaflets, but translated in a cultural key: indications, reading methods, dosage and ironic and positive side effects. For each new member it will be possible to collect a personal card and receive a free kit with literary pills, pencil, bookmark and reading suggestions in participating pharmacies.

“We realized that libraries, like pharmacies, are often the first front offices to treat people. Many come to visit us in the library to ask for a book after a bereavement, during a stressful situation, to face a difficult moment or to work on their self-esteem”, he explains to AGI Erica Davanzantelibrarian and contact person for cultural services at Euro&Promos. From this observation, he says, the idea of ​​a “literary self-medication” project was born, with books and quotes chosen to accompany small ailments of the soul. The journey will not stop at the distribution of the kits. In the summer there are meetings dedicated to care and well-being, with art therapy activities, pilates, guided readings and workshops designed for different age groups: opportunities to share experiences, explore emotions and experience the library as a space for dialogue and listening.

The international “Books on Prescription” model and the chosen authors

For years, at an international level, there has been discussion about the relationship between culture, health and well-being. In the United Kingdom experiences like the social prescribing hey “Books on Prescription” they are already going in this direction: cultural activities, groups, community services and books also recommended as support tools. Even theWorld Health Organizationrecognized the possible role of artistic and cultural activities in preventing and promoting well-being. It’s not about transforming culture into medicine, but about remembering that health also comes from relationships, listening, a sense of belonging and the possibility of giving a name to one’s emotions.

“In recent years, pharmacies have become increasingly closer to citizens, a daily point of reference especially for the elderly and the more fragile population”, he tells AGI Francesco Lombardiowner of one of the pharmacies involved. “The project represents a concrete way to bring people closer to culture and make us participate, as pharmacists, in a process of dissemination and promotion of reading”. For Lombardi, the pharmacy today is also “a place of listening, orientation and relationships: not everything must always be treated only with medicines. Sometimes culture, beauty and the possibility of feeling part of a community can also contribute to people’s well-being”.

The itineraries include authors such as Gianrico Carofiglio, Ian McEwan, Roberto Saviano, Ada d’Adamo, Francesco Piccolo, Stefano Benni, Michela Murgia and Senecain a selection that alternates fiction, non-fiction, coming-of-age novels and introspective texts. Because not everyone is looking for the same thing in a book: there are those who need lightness, those who recognize themselves in a story, those who simply want to stay away from the noise of everyday life for a few pages.