ICfL staff have had their eyes out for relevant stories, tools, and tricks so you don’t have to. We hope you find these resources useful and inspiring. Enjoy! 

Mental health and self-care

Taking care of yourself:

Feeling Lots Of….Feelings? Journaling Can Help  The term “journaling” encompasses a lot of different things: the list of birds you’ve seen in your neighborhood; the descriptions of sights you saw on your last vacation; the notes you jotted down about the dream you had last night. But the general, tried and true everything is a bit much in my life right now, and I have to write it down type of journaling can really help when, well, everything is a bit much. Expressive writing is associated with improvements in physical health, improvements in markers of mental health, and improvements in immune function. It’s also been shown to improve working memory in college students, says Pennebaker. 

Take a Virtual Visit to a National Park Experience a change of scenery in the safest way possible. Take a trip to a national park from wherever you are! Many national park sites across the country offer digital tours and experiences that you can access anytime, anywhere. From digitally diving under the sea to watching the cherry blossom trees bloom, there are countless ways to #FindYourPark.

Taking care of others can take care of you! If you have the time and energy, here are some ways you might reach out and help others in your community:

General

Let’s Walk About It from McCall Public Library  The Lets Talk About It program is on a hiatus, so the McCall Public Library got together some grant money and set up this spin-off! “Lets walk About It” is a book club guided by a scholar, but instead of gathering in the library, they walk and talk instead.  The theme this year was: “The books you wish you read in high school.” The program series was funded in part by the Idaho Humanities Council (IHC) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the CARES Act economic stabilization plan.

Idaho Digital E-Book Alliance (IDEA) is a state-wide partnership between the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL), public libraries, and school libraries with the goal of expanding access while reducing barriers to digital e-books and e-audio content via OverDrive. To explore ways of gaining access, contact Dylan Baker at dylan.baker@libraries.idaho.gov or Tammy Hawley-House at tammy.hawleyhouse@libraries.idaho.gov.