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How are you? No, really – how are you doing? This can be a tricky time of year, with the seasons changing, the weather getting colder by the day, and the pressures of holiday planning. Needless to say, it can be a stressful time and you need to be sure to practice a little self-care. You may not have expected it, but the Grafton Public Library is here to help. Besides having many self-help and mindfulness books and audiobooks available for you to check out to read or listen to, we have also added some new items to our Library of Things collection to help bring you some serenity.
Have you heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? It is a type of depression that some people experience in the fall and winter months due to the loss of sunlight and it can sap your energy and make you feel depressed. The Mayo Clinic says that light therapy boxes can help alleviate SAD – and we have purchased two HappyLights for you to check out. This way you can borrow one to see if it helps with your “winter blues.”
Or you might like to listen to some peaceful sounds to calm you. Well, we have also recently added a Sound Machine to our Library of Things collection. Our White Noise machine includes six digitally recorded relaxing sounds intended to mimic natural environments such as light rain, ocean waves, as well as other soothing sounds. It is great to sleep to or just to have playing in the background while you are doing other things.
If you are looking for soothing, or not so soothing sounds, of another variety – how about breaking out the vinyl? Yep, we recently purchased a Record Player. It is compact enough (about the size of a small suitcase) to be portable, but the sound is quite good. If you still have some of your old records at home, or have been considering buying some to see if the hiss and pops of vinyl records are just as good as you remembered (they are, by the way) – why not borrow our record player. We may even start adding some vinyl records to our collection if patrons would like that… Any suggestions?
We have also added two sets of Hiking Poles to our Library of Things collection. So, if you want to catch some winter sun while it is out and listen to those natural sounds in nature itself, but you want a little extra security while hiking, try borrowing our hiking poles. They are adjustable for height and include different “feet” for various weather conditions such as mud or ice.
One more thing that can cheer us up is a new friend, who couldn’t use a new friend..? Well, the Grafton (Massachusetts) Public Library has partnered with three other Graftons – in Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin – to participate in a Pen Pal Program. If you sign up, we will match you with a pen pal in one of the other Graftons and you can exchange postcards/letters, getting to know what life in another Grafton is like. All ages and abilities are encouraged to participate in this program. If you would like to participate, simply register between November 18 and December 31 and we will pair you with the perfect pen pal. Your first postcard/letter is due around January 13. The Grafton to Grafton Pen Pal Program will run for twelve weeks (January through end of March) and require that you write six letters to your pen pal. It should be a lot of fun, and a good way to pass those dark hours of the bleak mid-winter.
Tom O'Connell, Library Director
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