The Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Cllr Marie Murphy, recently launched the Leabhar Liom collection, now available for loan through Tipperary County Council Library Service. Leabhar Liom is a collection of books that aims to support children, young adults and families who experience difficult situations in their lives.
Reading and books play a vital role in nurturing resilience, in encouraging high self-esteem, and in building empathy. Reading can help children and young adults develop their emotional literacy to enable them to recognise and appropriately express emotions.
Leabhar Liom has been developed in response to a need for suitable reading material where children and young adults can see themselves reflected in the books they read and can identify with characters who share similar feelings and experiences.
It is our hope that this collection will provide support, comfort and inspiration but above all will give a positive message to those who feel isolated, fearful or anxious.
The Leabhar Liom collection of books is available to support workers, who in collaboration with the family, can identify the best books to borrow for the family at that time. A selection of books will then be made available to the child, young adult and their family, through the services of their support worker.
Leabhar Liom has been developed by Tipperary County Council Library Service, with the advice of Tusla, Barnardos and Tipperary Children & Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC). Leabhar Liom is supported by the Government of Ireland and Dormant Accounts Fund.
If you are a support worker, working with families who might benefit from this collection, please email libraries@tipperarycoco.ie for more information.
View the Leabhar Liom catalogue at https://www.tipperarylibraries.ie/leabhar-liom/.
Photo shows: Ann Marie Brophy, Senior Executive Librarian; Yvonne Fitzsimons, Tusla; Cllr Marie Murphy, Cathaoirleach; Damien Dullaghan, County Librarian; Anne Marie Mullins, Executive Librarian; Jackie Elphick, Barnardos [Credit: Debbie Hickey]