Morrill Memorial Enters Service To Norwood Hospital
Move Made After Tests Show Books Have Therapeutic Value
Hospital Library Service became a reality in Norwood Monday afternoon when patients in wards and private rooms at the Norwood Hospital found a book truck wheeled to their bedside between one and five o’clock. Fifty-four books circulated, representing suitable duplicates of the Morrill Memorial Library’s own collection. The books were professionally selected for hospital use, and in most cases were recommended by the Hospital Book Guide, a publication of the American Library Association, compiled by Hospital Librarians.
Mrs. Eleanor Probort Johnson Junior Assistant at the Morrill Memorial Library, and Miss Phyllis Draper of Canton, hospital volunteer also, assisted Miss Barbara A. Jordan, in charge of the Hospital Library Service. The library assistants and Miss Draper helped patients select books from a wheeling book truck with sloping shelves, on which were displayed colorful new books ranging from current best-sellers to children’s picture storybooks.
This popular and humanly-appealing service, authorized by the Boards of Trustees of the Morrill Memorial Library and of the Norwood Hospital, wax Instituted following consultation of Miss Edna Phlllips, librarian, with Mr. Robert Brown, administrator of the Norwood Hospital and Miss Dorcas Clark, superintendent. It is in line with recommendations of doctors and psychologists who recognize the positive therapeutic value of a good book. It fills a need, long felt locally, for professional) library service in Norwood Institution, and makes a reality of several years’ work toward that end by Mrs* Phillips. It will continue on a weekly basis New books will be purchased monthly by the Morrill Memorial Library and frequent deposits of books front the library’s own collection will be lent for use at the hospital.
In preparation for this bedside service Miss Jordan and Mrs. Johnson of the library staff attended a series of lectures on “Institution Library Service” given last fall at the Warren Library of the Massachusetts General Hospital. The course was sponsored Jointly by the Massachusetts Division of Public Libraries and the Institution Libraries Group.