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Thursday, May 28, 2020

Reading and Stress Relief


 As mentioned in my introductory post, I enjoy loom-knitting. However, in the past few months, I've felt stalled.  Consequently, I've stuck to smaller projects. People on social media post pictures of the beautiful pieces they’ve created, and I wonder how they manage to find the energy and motivation. I give myself grief for taking longer to complete a project than I think I should.   I need to go easier on myself; we all should.  


You can't have a global pandemic without stress. It affects all of us.  Even grocery shopping now has elements of stress that we are unused to.  This can make ordinary tasks difficult. For some people, reading has become a difficult task.  Others, however, find reading to be a stress relief. 



“A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. It works better and faster than other relaxation methods, such as listening to music or drinking a hot cup of tea. This is because your mind is invited into a literary world that is free from the stressors that plague your daily life.” -The University of Minnesota’s Reading for Stress Relief


Check out these suggested reads for your stress-busting needs:



365 ways to beat stress: how to relax & find perfect calm


"Are you stressed? Do you need to find ways to unwind? Life can sometimes be hectic, challenging and hard to manage. We all need to find ways to release the daily pressures. In this exciting collection of relaxation ideas you will discover new ways to ease life's load, so that you can find tranquility and access inner peace. Offering simple and easy daily solutions for busy people and continuing a wealth of tips and techniques, from relaxation mantras and attitude acrobatics to self-help programmes, physical workouts and lessons from the east, 365 Ways to Beat Stress will help you access a calmer way of being"--Back cover.

365 ways to beat stress


Ten minutes to deep meditation: techniques that reduce stress and relieve anger, anxiety & depression / Michael J. Cavallaro.

Ten minutes to deep meditation



Lessons from Tara: life advice from the world's most brilliant dog / David Rosenfelt

"Rosenfelt's latest work of nonfiction has a slightly misleading title; although Tara, the author's first dog, takes center stage, other dogs--a handful of the hundreds the author and his wife have taken in over the years--do make some appearances. The book's theme is pretty straightforward: here are some of the things I've learned about myself through my dogs. Grieving after Tara's death, for example, allowed Rosenfelt to open up a more emotional side of himself; other dogs have shown him how to cope with stress, how to put others ahead of himself, how to exist in a seriously hectic environment (his house is always full of dogs), how to find the small joys in a busy day, how to manage with a lack of sleep, and more"--Booklist.

Lessons from Tara


Calm: mindfulness for kids / written by Wynne Kinder, M.Ed.

Mindfulness activities are a great way to teach children about their thoughts and feelings and how to understand them while having fun at the same time. This book guides kids to help them enjoy and appreciate things that they take for granted every day while boosting their confidence and self-esteem. Full color.

Calm: mindfulness for kids 


How to relax / Thich Nhat Hanh.

"How to Relax is part of The Mindfulness Essentials series of how-to titles by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, introducing beginners and reminding seasoned practitioners of the essentials of mindfulness practice. Pocket-sized, with original two color illustrations by Jason DeAntonis, How to Relax shows how critical it is to regularly interrupt the hub-bub and routine of our lives to stop, relax mindfully, and recharge. Thich Nhat Hanh says that when we relax, we "become calm water, and we will reflect reality as it is. If we're not calm, the image we reflect will be distorted. When the image is distorted by our minds, it's not the reality, and it causes lots of suffering." With sections on healing, relief from nonstop thinking, transforming unpleasant sounds, solitude, being peace, and more, How to Relax includes meditations you can do to help you achieve the benefits of relaxation no matter where you are. It's a unique gift for those who want a simple guide to achieving deep relaxation, controlling stress, and renewing mental freshness and clarity, appropriate for those practicing in any spiritual tradition, whether seasoned practitioners or new to meditations. With fifteen two color drawings by celebrated artist Jason DeAntonis. "-- Provided by publisher.

How to relax



Tips on taking a trauma-informed approach to coronavirus

Why it’s so hard to read a book right now, explained by a neuroscientist

How Reading Reduces Stress: Read For Stress Relief

CDC - Coping with Stress 


Monday, May 25, 2020

Rainbow Book Month






 

June is right around the corner and with it comes

Pride Month.

The pandemic may have caused the parade

and other festivities to be canceled,

but you can still celebrate the love through reading.

We welcome you to explore our suggested reads

and follow the links to our online catalog.

Don't forget to place the title on hold

and we will call you when your hold is ready!



2020 Releases




Infinity Son by Adam Silvera
"In a world where some people are born with powers and some people take them, brothers Emil and Brighton Rey get swept up in a supernatural turf war generations in the making"-- Provided by publisher


The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
"Teen boys find love when their parents’
NASA mission uproots their lives
 in this sweet debut perfect for Adam Silvera fans."
philstamper.com

The Gravity of Us

The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe
"Bunny Lampert is the princess of North Shore - beautiful, tall, blond, with a rich real-estate-developer father and a swimming pool in her backyard. Michael - with a ponytail down his back and a septum piercing⁠ - lives with his aunt in the cramped stucco cottage next door. When Bunny catches Michael smoking in her yard, he discovers that her life is not as perfect as it seems. At six foot three, Bunny towers over their classmates. Even as she dreams of standing out and competing in the Olympics, she is desperate to fit in, to seem normal, and to get a boyfriend, all while hiding her father's escalating alcoholism. Michael has secrets of his own. At home and at school Michael pretends to be straight, but at night he tries to understand himself by meeting men online for anonymous encounters that both thrill and scare him. When Michael falls in love for the first time, a vicious strain of gossip circulates and a terrible, brutal act becomes the defining feature of both his and Bunny's futures⁠⁠ - and of their friendship."--Publisher description.
The Knockout Queen

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
"Esther is a stowaway. She's hidden herself away in the Librarian's book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her--a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda. The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing"-- Provided by publisher.

Upright Women Wanted

Reverie by Ryan La Sala
"REVERIE is a YA contemporary fantasy novel about what happens when the worlds we hide within ourselves become reality, and how far we’re willing to go to confront our darkest dreams. It features a diverse cast of queer teens doing their best to master powers that spawn from their greatest fears, to defeat a sorceress determined to tear apart reality and start over on her own terms." -https://www.ryanlasala.com/reverie/
Reverie

 

  

Fiction




Non-Fiction



Graphic Novels



The Prince and the Dressmaker
by Jen Wang

The Prince and the Dressmaker


Love is Love
Love is Love

Grease Bats by Archie Bongiovanni
Grease Bats

Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
Check, Please!

Stage Dreams by Melanie Gillman
Stage Dreams


Juvenile 



[Photo Courtesy of Julie Ventcinque: 2019 Chicago Pride  Parade]



Additional Links





Thursday, May 21, 2020

Ebook Overview


On April 27, The Sun-Times reported that “Chicagoans checked out 158,071 e-books between March 15 and April 22 — a 51% increase compared to the 104,939 e-books checked out during roughly the same time period in 2019. Growth from 2018 to 2019 during roughly the same window was 19%, a spokesman said.”  https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/4/27/21235013/chicago-public-library-ebook-usage-soars-stay-at-home-order-coronavirus-covid-19



In the wide realm of book discussions, one topic, that frequently comes up is: What do you prefer eBooks or physical books? I have to say that I was a lot slower to test out the world of eBooks than others. Even though I know full well that change can be beneficial, I can still be slow to come around to it. In current times, one can’t help but see the benefits of electronic books; the temporary closure of the library is one of them.  


Through our virtual resources, The Dixon Public library offers our patrons access to Omni/Overdrive/Libby, eRead Illinois/Axis 360, Odilo, and Biblioboard.  


OMNI/OVERDRIVE/LIBBY


Through Omni/Overdrive/Libby we offer eBooks and Audiobooks. You can access this through your android device:

  • Ereaders.

  • iPod.

  • Mac.

  • MP3 players.

  • NOOK.

  • Window

https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/devices.htm

https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/categories/getting-started.htm


The Overdrive/Libby app can be downloaded through iTunes and Google Play.


eREAD ILLINOIS/AXIS 360


eRead Illinois/Axis 360 can be accessed through http://dixonpl.axis360.baker-taylor.com/  



The following devices can be used with the Axis 360 mobile app according to Axis 360 Help: Device Compatibility page:

“All iOS devices running iOS 8 or later All Android devices running Android 4.4.2 or later Please note that if you have an older device running an Android operating system prior to 4.4.2, you will need to upgrade your device and operating system to use the Axis 360 mobile app. 

Third-generation and up Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD and HDX devices - Please note that audiobooks may not play on 3rd generation Kindle Fire devices running the mobile app


If you are using a PC, Mac, Chromebook, or even a mobile device running Safari or any other major web browser, you can check out content via your library's Axis 360 website and then read it via our Read Now and Listen Now browser-based reader/audiobook player. You can also read and listen on your mobile device using the Axis 360 mobile app.”


ODILO


Odilo can be found through the Dixon Public Library’s virtual library and is available through apps on Google Play, Amazon, and iTunes.


BIBLIOBOARD


The link for Biblioboard is https://library.biblioboard.com/welcome where you can access books with our without creating a profile.



HELP LINKS

https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/id98dr2m64?videoFoam=true  (Libby)


An Introduction


  Some questions are not the easiest to answer. I for one frequently struggle with “What’s your favorite?” Whether it be about books, movies, genres, colors, music, or outlandish acts made by mythological gods; I will struggle to narrow them down. Often, the best I can do is a top 5-10 list, but I will still feel like I have somehow neglected something wonderful by not mentioning it. Sometimes, I’m not certain if it’s more a matter of having multiple “favorites” or of being an indecisive person, (spoiler alert! It's both).

This tendency can make introducing myself a bit problematic. So, shall I stick to the basics? Hello, my name is Jenni, and I am a clerk at the Dixon Public Library. My family and I moved to Dixon in August of 2018. I am married with 5 kids. Or perhaps, I should branch out: I’m an introverted bibliophile, whose face sometimes reacts to things without my consent. I also loom knit, make wreaths out of yarn and tulle, and tend to drink more caffeine than my doctors would prefer. This all leads to a brief introduction of who I am, there is more, but there will be plenty to learn about me, as the blog progresses.

Along with introducing myself, I need to introduce this blog. Off the Shelf is the official blog for the Dixon Public Library, (Illinois not California). The purpose is to help us connect with the public and to provide a new service for our patrons. A blog allows the library, another way to offer updates as to our plans of action, events, important information, new releases, and recommendations. I'm excited to see where the journey leads to on our new adventure. 



[Image of a Hobbit running: "I'm going on an adventure!"] 

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Creating Connections



Staying home can be quite a challenge. Even a homebody such as myself can struggle with the monotony of being at home. Because of this, everyone at the Dixon Public Library has been working hard in order to stay engaged with the community and to provide what services we can in the safest ways possible. 


Starting Wednesday, May 13th, we will be able to collect returns. Any items you have may be returned between 9-5, either through the dropbox or you can place bagged items in your trunk, and call us when you arrive so that someone can safely come to retrieve your items.

At this time all items, that are not long-term overdue, are renewed until June 30th.

We are providing temporary library cards through August 15th. Just provide us your proof of address once we reopen. If interested please email the library at mail@dixonpl.org and don't forget to give us your name, email, address, and date of birth.

Cards for our rural patrons have all been extended until August 15th, 2020. 

If you need to renew your library card, just send an email to the address above with your name and current address.


One of the resources we can offer is our virtual services which include eBooks, eLearning, and eResources. Which can be found via our website: https://www.dixongov.com/library/virtual-library.html 

FYI: Don't forget that your password is the month and day of your birthday, just 4 digits. For example, if your birthday happens to land on January 1st, your password is 0101. 

We now have a Facebook page for kids with information on our upcoming Summer Reading Program. https://www.facebook.com/dplkids 

Our original Facebook page is kept updated, to not only provide our patrons with important updates but with activities such as our May Reading Challenge and our Daily Yoga Poses with Angela Haws https://www.facebook.com/LibraryDixonIL. 

As we slowly start to move forward within the building, by accepting book returns; I am working to bring to you another way to stay connected, our very own Dixon Public Library Blog, brought to you by your very own, stuck at home library clerk Jenni, me! Yay! I hope that through this blog I will be able to offer not just important updates and information but also a way to connect to all my patrons whom I miss and wish the best for. 


Update.


Beginning Tuesday, May 19th, The Dixon Public Library will be starting our new takeout service. From the hours of 9:30-12:30 and 1:30-5:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and from 10:30-12:30 and 1:30-6:00 on Thursdays, we will offer curbside pickup of materials. Just use our online catalog at tinyurl.com/dixonplcatalog, or call or email us to put your selections on hold. As always we look forward to helping you with your literary needs! 









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