Looking to Change Your Habits? The Library Can Help
A visit to the library can help you turn a new page
If you’ve been interested in trying something new, your local public library may be able to help. As a vital community service, many libraries offer services with little to no fees. These include books, classes, expensive technology like computers, ways to improve your health and well-being, and resources to learn new skills. Libraries are always about making basic life needs as accessible as possible. If you’ve been looking for a change, try visiting your local library to see what they do to help.
A Safe Space for Reading
When used for their primary purpose, libraries will always be a safe place for reading. This includes books that aren’t for educational purposes but can benefit people who need a quiet space. For example, a college student needing a place to study can use their local library’s community rooms.
Even so, reading is a form of self-care on its own. Studies have even shown that reading may contribute to overall longevity. Plus, many connections have been made to reading and reduced cognitive decline. In summary, reading exercises your brain. Thus, by encouraging communities to read, libraries promote overall well-being.
Try Out a New Meal
Are you interested in cooking but don’t know where to start? Your local library can help! Cookbooks are available to purchase, but they can be costly. Instead of spending money on a book you’ll barely use, try checking out a library cookbook. Recipes can always be transcribed, helping you save money and focus on recipes you genuinely enjoy.
Plus, libraries usually offer services that go far beyond lending cookbooks. Public libraries offer free or discounted cooking, nutrition, and life skills, classes. Even if they don’t provide these resources, your local librarian will be happy to help you find an affordable alternative. These are often well-rounded cooking classes with healthy, delicious, and cheap recipe selections.
Learn More About Yourself
Everyone should have access to physical health resources, especially if you’ve discovered something new about yourself. Whether you’d like to learn more about a life-changing diagnosis or want to read a book about human biology, your local library can help. Even if you’re living through a period of financial insecurity, a library can provide vital information for free and help you save money.
Some libraries have even partnered with other community service organizations to provide as many physical health resources as possible. For example, the Farmingdale Public Library in New York offers Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi classes alongside regular services. At the library, these physical wellness programs are often free or offered at a highly affordable price.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
Reading dramatically benefits mental health, along with access to physical health education and improved cognitive function. People living with depression may specifically benefit from reading due to its ability to reduce feelings of extreme loneliness. When people make connections with characters they love, it makes them feel less alone.
Plus, there are just as many library resources for mental health as for physical fitness. Decreased mental health usually coincides with environmental factors such as homelessness, financial insecurity, or lack of access to healthcare services. Libraries have always been a refuge for people in need; many provide these services, sometimes more. If you’ve been struggling with your mental health, find out what your local library can do to help.
Community Outreach
Public libraries play a vital role in the community. They’re neither personal residencies nor office buildings (although they can certainly act as “offices” for remote workers and students). They can be whatever someone wants them to be, a museum of historical documents, a community center, or a book club location.
No matter what you consider your local library to be, it will always be a community service. There’s a significant reason why people living through homelessness rely on local libraries. Many library resources are accessible or highly affordable, providing refuge for needy people. Some libraries even offer free health services in areas with prevalent financial insecurity. For example, specific libraries have on-site social workers available to help community members in need.
Embrace Overall Self-Care
All these points together prove that libraries are essential for overall self-care. Plus, many of these details coincide with one another. For example, people living through homelessness may have difficulty accessing physical health resources while struggling with mental health. Also, college students may only have immediate access to some of the resources libraries can offer.
In summary, supporting libraries means that you’re increasing self-care options for all people. Libraries can offer free healthcare resources, career support, and opportunities to learn new skills. Today’s librarians are even being trained in basic community service skills in health, social work, and public education.
Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn how you can support the crucial resources that libraries offer their communities.
#librarymarketers: Enjoy this story? Want to use it for your library newsletter, blog, or social media? This article is published under Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International and is free to edit and use with attribution. Please cite EveryLibrary on medium.com/everylibrary.
This work by EveryLibrary is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
