The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has launched new bereavement resources and designated libraries as Death Positive Libraries for Dying Matters Week, running from May 5 to 11.

Coleraine Library joined Cookstown, Magherafelt, Draperstown, and Northern Regional College campuses in Ballymena and Newtownabbey as Death Positive Libraries. These sites provide collections of books and materials on death, dying, and bereavement. Northern Ireland now has 15 such libraries.

The Trust developed three booklets. One supports adults with learning disabilities in understanding bereavement. Another guides parents and carers in helping children and young people through grief. A third explains physical and emotional changes in a person's final days and hours.

The final-days booklet came from joint work by the Northern and Belfast Trusts. The learning disability resource came from the Northern Trust's Specialist Palliative Care and Learning Disability Working Group.

Events include free drop-in sessions by Connect North on May 5. One runs at Larne Library from 10am to noon. Another takes place at Rathcoole Library from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

The Trust partners with Compassionate Communities NI and Libraries NI on the programme. Resources are available via Compassionate Communities NI, Bereaved NI, and the Northern Trust website.