UK 
“The Library as a Space for Psychological Support for Children” is a project that includes trainings and activities aimed at spreading knowledge about children’s mental health and supporting parents. The project was kindly supported in 2025 by the IBBY Secretariat with sponsorship from Mr. Hideo Yamada and his company.
The goal of the project within library practice is to promote knowledge about the mental health of children and their parents, foster a culture of reading and psychological support, and conduct trainings, events, and seminars using bibliotherapy and art therapy, which are especially relevant for children during wartime. The project not only expanded the opportunities of the library space for children’s reading and access to essential information, but also provided knowledge about mental health through books and art-therapeutic activities. It contributed to the development of empathy and social awareness among children, helped them better understand the world, and taught them how to interact with it.
Within the framework of the project, the National Library of Ukraine for Children, with the support of the IBBY–Yamada Programme 2025 “Every Child Has the Right to Become a Reader”, hosted a practical training seminar on promoting knowledge about the mental health of children and their parents entitled “The Library as a Space for Psychological Support for Children.” The seminar focused on the importance of preserving and supporting children’s mental health in the conditions of war. Key initiatives of state institutions in this area were discussed, including the development of a culture of caring for one’s inner well-being, the role of primary psychological assistance for children in crisis situations, and the importance of implementing modern approaches and methodologies in the field of psychological support.
Among the activities for children, specialists chose play therapy for training sessions with primary school children as one of the most effective methods in psychology. Psychologists actively used materials and technical devices, as well as innovative methods of working with books, such as fairy-tale therapy, art therapy, consultations for children and parents, a series of animated activities, relaxation reading, and “good mood workshops.” These activities helped participants experience positive emotions and provided relief from the horrors caused by the war.
Participants had the opportunity not only to deepen their theoretical knowledge of effective communication but also to actively work on developing their own skills of influence and argumentation.