Chapter 2 discussed the importance of reflecting on face-to-face interactions with people with dementia in the library and, if necessary, developing better communication skills to improve their experience of library services. This chapter focuses on communications about the library and its services in written formats, as this is how people with dementia and their carers are initially likely to find out about services available to them through their library. This includes print materials but also, of course, digital commun - ications. In many cases there is room to improve communications. For instance, as research involving Scottish public libraries pointed out, if the public only used library web pages as their source of information, they would not know that many services are dementia friendly as this is rarely mentioned (Tyler, 2020). On the other hand, whilst researching this book, I came across several instances where dementia-friendly services advertised on library websites did not reflect what happened in practice. This included facilities that were advertised as being accessible for people with dementia in promotional materials, but which I was told were not in fact suitable when I enquired about them.

Whilst the guidance below offers some general suggestions to take into consideration when designing marketing and communications materials, it is important to consult with people with dementia, and other groups such as carers, to ensure these meet the needs of local library audiences. Chapter 9 suggests some consultation methods that may be helpful.

This chapter starts with a discussion of some of the key terminology used when discussing dementia. Much of this applies to both written and verbal communication, but it is particularly important in materials promoting library services to ensure that, as far as possible, the ways in which they are described is inclusive of people with dementia and carers. The second section of the chapter focuses on the design of materials intended to be accessible for people with dementia – both in print and online – and also discusses the inclusion of images and considerations such as the translation of resources into community languages.

Language and terminology

Words matter. The words we use, in both speech and writing, can influence the mood, self-esteem and feelings of others.