Reading can offer comfort, solace, and advice when we need it most.
On this page you can find resources designed to support conversations around death, dying and bereavement.
How can libraries help?
Libraries can provide a safe and trusted space for local communities to start supportive conversations about death, dying and loss. We have a range of resources available both in the Library and online. You can find useful links below, as well as books and other resources available to borrow from the Library. You can browse the collection on the first floor in the Clifton Room or ask a member of the team for help.
Click the buttons below for a complete list of the books in our collection on death, dying and bereavement.
BOOKS FOR ADULTS BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Or click here for the Reading Well Bereavement Book Guide.
Useful Links (click to access)
+ What do do when someone dies in Guernsey
Information and useful links from the States of Guernsey including how to register a death, bereavement support, and funeral services
+ Les Bourgs Hospice
Find support and useful resources all about death and dying, including their excellent 'Ducks in a Row' booklet, which you can pick up from the Library.
+ Guernsey Bereavement Service
Providing support services to those experiencing bereavement
+ Digital Legacies
Information about how to manage our online or digital presence when we die. This includes how to create a 'social media will'.
+ Dying Matters (Hospice UK)
Events, information and stories from the Dying Matters campaign. Plus a 'planning ahead tool' for end of life peace of mind
+ Youth Commission - Sunshine Project
Information for those helping to support children and young people after a bereavement
+ Samaritans Guernsey
Listening to those in need
+ Citizens Advice
Information on death grants, benefit support, registering a death and this guide on preparing your will in Guernsey
+ SANDS (Still Birth and Neonatal Death Charity)
Support for anyone affected by the death of a baby
+ Holy Trinity Church - Esperance Bereavement Group
Informal support group for anyone who has experienced loss in their lives
+ Talking Benches in Guernsey
A place to talk about mental health
+ Age UK
Video and booklet to help start conversations about death and dying
Ducks in a Row booklet
We all try to keep things simple, but over our lifetime we accumulate reams of documentation. Paperwork, digital records and final wishes may be stored in all sorts of places, not written down, or just never discussed.
To help, Les Bourgs Hospice have created these 'Ducks in a Row' booklets to guide us through the process of recording and ordering our key information.
The booklets are available to collect from the Health & Wellbeing section in the Clifton Room on the first floor of the Library.
What to say when someone is bereaved
Responding to someone after they have been bereaved can feel overwhelming. It is normal to feel worried about saying the wrong thing. But almost always, one of the most helpful things you can do for someone who is bereaved is to be available to listen and talk to them.
If you are finding it difficult, Cruse Beareavement Care has some helpful suggestions: