Healing Library Kits for Death Care are a thing and they’re available at my local library
Society seems just to be gaining a focus on discussing death and The LA County Library system in California is making an effort to make those tough conversations and painful emotions a little bit easier to handle with its Healing Library Kits. It’s the Library’s version of a toolkit for the emotional equivalent of DIY processing. With the right instructions and information in general, you can at least lessen negative outcomes. And this is another tool to process grief.
LA County Library website describes like this:
“The healing journey after a traumatic event can be challenging. Developed in collaboration with LA County Department of Mental Health and the California Mental Health Services Act with content created and inspired by The Healing Library, these circulating Kits provide evidence-based materials that can support families navigating difficult experiences like separation, divorce, and the death of a pet.
Each Healing Library Kit includes books and resources guides, including discussion topics and suggestions for activities, intended to make the healing process more accessible and less overwhelming. Visit a participating library to borrow a Healing Library Kit with your Library card.
And Here is what is contained in the West Hollywood Library kit:
The Death of a Pet Kit: Our Pets Are Family Too
Losing a pet is like losing a member of your family. For those whose furry friends have crossed the rainbow bridge, the Death of a Pet Kit is a gentle, kid-friendly way to explain the “why” behind the tears. Included in the kit are books that take a softer approach to the harsh reality of pet loss, with just the right amount of cuddly compassion and gentle honesty:
- Goodbye Mousie by Robie H. Harris (Illustrated by Jan Ormerod)
- Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas (Illustrated by Ard Hoyt)
- When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers (Photographs by Jim Judkis)
These books are perfect for helping kids (and adults) understand and process the emotional whirlwind of pet loss—without all the heavy-handedness of The Godfather or a Lifetime movie.
The Death of a Loved One Kit: Because Grief Isn’t what you see ‘on TV’
For those facing the loss of a human loved one, the Death of a Loved One Kit steps in to make things a little less, well, “Lifetime movie” and more “Ted Talk” Navigating grief can feel like you’re stuck in an emotional maze, and nobody wants to end up with a “tragic backstory” on their profile. These books give kids and adults the tools to face loss with a little less drama and a lot more understanding:
- The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown (Illustrated by Christian Robinson)
- Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen
- The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn (Illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak)
- When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
These selections are meant to be heartfelt, educational, and most importantly, not maudlin or overwrought.
The LA County Library’s Healing Library Kits are part of a bigger trend to break the silence on death—something we’re not exactly taught to talk about, especially in today’s “don’t talk about it if it’s uncomfortable” society. The truth is, we need more resources that open up conversations about what will happen to all of us. These kits attempt to do that and give an option to the awkward grief meet-ups.
They’re now available at participating LA County Library branches. What’s even more encouraging is that these kits are part of a growing awareness around the need for better tools to navigate death and grief in modern society.