Can Bibliotherapy Go Public? Available to Purchase

In times past, the public library has aptly been called “the university of the people,” an educational institution dedicated to furthering the democratic way of life. An educational institution is charged with the tasks of transmitting societal values and acquiring knowledge necessary for daily living. Certainly, the public library affirms that all people of the United States have a right to the pursuit of knowledge along with or as part of the pursuit of happiness. Whether or not the library also has some responsibility in assisting patrons in the clarification of societal values and in assisting patrons with life enrichment is not as clear from a historical perspective. That libraries can and should bring literature and books together in reader's discussion groups for enrichment and clarification is the subject of this paper.