International Innovation Challenge recognizes Valley Hospice Foundation Grief Library as “brilliantly analog” in its support for those experiencing grief

The project started with an idea, scrawled on a napkin at a palliative care conference in 2023, in response to a question about what organizations could do to foster grief literacy. A year later, that idea – a grief library – has come to life thanks to the Valley Hospice Foundation and a small group with passion and commitment for supporting Nova Scotians through grief. The project was recently granted top prize out of 54 entries worldwide in the 2024 Innovation Challenge hosted by the Canadian Virtual Hospice at the McGill International Palliative Care Congress.

“People in Nova Scotia are thirsty for conversations about grief,” says Terri Milton, the grief library’s volunteer librarian. “We know through the work of Mass Casualty Commission that Nova Scotia has tremendous amounts of unprocessed grief. Nova Scotia, since 2020, has really needed some love and attention.”

Terri remembers when Sarah Scott, spiritual and religious care chaplain, and Kate Garant, manager of Valley Hospice, presented the idea of a grief library to the Valley Hospice Foundation board, of which Terri was a member. Terri, who is a librarian and has been for 25 years, was immediately sold on the idea. “Sign me up! If you’ll have me, I’m now your volunteer librarian for this project. Please let me give my time to this – it’s so meaningful. It’s so perfect. We can make it happen.”

Make it happen they did. Sarah and Terri gathered a working group that included palliative care nurses, grief counsellors, a death doula and music therapists. They reached out to other practitioners in the area with experience supporting people through grief and gathered a list of books they’d found most helpful. They brought this back to the foundation with a request for support, which was enthusiastically granted.

It’s important to the group that the library’s collection reflect diverse perspectives. It includes books written by and for Indigenous people, people of African descent, the 2SLGBTQ+ community, as well as those who are Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Jewish. It has board books and picture books for children, and audio books in addition to traditional books. The library will even loan the technology for listening to audio books, as needed. Library loans are for up to three months, recognizing that people may need time to work through a book as they grieve. 

The collection approaches grief holistically and isn’t limited to books about loss due to death. One example is climate grief, which is more common among young adults.

When asked how folks access books, Terri says, “A library is a collection, and a library is a service. It’s also a space.” Those who wish to come to the physical space to borrow a book, can visit the library, located in the PeopleWorx building at 11 Opportunity Lane in Kentville, on Mondays or Wednesdays between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. However, getting to the library in person isn’t practical or possible for many, due to distance or transportation challenges. Plus, the collection is open to people across the province.

“Because I had the privilege of working in the public library system, I knew the solution was books by mail,” says Terri, who says people don’t need a library card, only an address where the book can be delivered. “People can call us, they can request a book, we will send it in the mail at no charge. We send a return addressed envelope – people can send back books by mail. It's been really gratifying as a librarian to see the impact the books have been having.”

Terri shares several stories that demonstrate this impact. She speaks about a school guidance counsellor who approached the grief library’s display at the Hike for Hospice in May. The book “Grief recovery for teens” was on their table. He explained that a student at the school had died, and said, “The kids are not ok.” He borrowed the book on the spot and sent a thank you note back with the book to say how helpful it had been.

Terri also talks about a borrower who came to the library in person, “We had someone from Western end of valley make their way here – they were very emotional but looked through the collection and borrowed some things. I got a lovely email saying, ‘I just want you to know how happy I am that this library exists.’”

She recalls another story of a group of three women in their mid-70s, who said, “Our husbands aren’t dead but they’re in long-term care and we’re grieving that. Do you have anything for us?” The library didn’t, but Terri went home immediately and searched what was available. “And guess what? There’s a book,” Terri says, referring to Now What? Managing the Emotional Journey of Long Term Care by Deborah Bakti. She bought the book right away and, “It’s gone out to that group of three beautiful, lovely women.” Terri notes this is an example of the library’s patron-driven acquisition philosophy and practice.

The landscape of grief books and resources has broadened in recent years, says Terri, “One of the things we’ve discovered is there’s so much good writing about this topic now, which there wasn’t for so long. It was taboo. Death and dying weren’t talked about, not written about. Most of the collection is 2020 or newer. This conversation is opening up, people are recognizing that it’s healthy. Grief needs to be talked about and brought to the light and shared. It’s a shared experience and it’s a human experience and we’re all going to go through it.” 

Why did the group decide to create a library of books rather than an app or a website, in this digital age? “With an app, there are lots of people you’re excluding,” says Terri, who says the group wanted to get books into the hands of any Nova Scotian, including those with unreliable or no internet access. For that reason, the MC at the Innovation Challenge described the initiative as “Brilliantly analog.”

“At first, we were humbled and overwhelmed to have received the award, but it’s also very affirming,” says Terri. “We’re exceptionally proud of the fact that Nova Scotia competed on a world stage and won an innovation challenge. We’re also really proud of the fact that it was a simple solution that was the winner.”

The group has had inquiries from individuals or groups in Singapore, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and United States who are interested in setting up grief libraries.  

In operating the library, Terri says they are growing grief literacy, “one book at a time.” By providing barrier-free access to a range of books about grief, the most important message that the group wants Nova Scotians who are grieving to receive is, “You’re not alone.”

To learn more about the grief library or to view the library’s catalogue online, visit Grief Library - Valley Hospice Foundation.

To contact the grief library, email library@valleyhospice.ca or phone 902-690-2194.

Photo of (L-R) Terri Milton and Sarah Scott. Photo credit to Vincent Bélanger.