Like many of you, when I first carved out a little makeshift workspace for myself at home to weather the pandemic, I never expected I would still need it a year later. I joked about my 10-second commute to work, called my cat my “new supervisor,” and kept forgetting to take lunch breaks until well into the afternoon. It was a stressful time, as times of change tend to be, but it was all supposed to be temporary, right?
Although our pets are still supervising our work between their naps, most of us now probably have new habits and routines. We also have new struggles. Is our internet connection robust enough for work and school and everything else that needs to happen at the same time? Are our social needs being met? Is working from home affecting our work/life balance negatively?
If the initial stress of the pandemic’s early days has turned into something more chronic, perhaps you (and your patrons) could use some help managing it. In honor of #MindfulMarch, now is a great time to evaluate your library’s holdings in this area with Core Collections.
Almost every time I use Core Collections, I begin with the advanced search. This is especially useful in checking a specific subject area, as you can cast a wide net and use the filters to narrow things down as much as you want. After starting with subjects like stress management, anxiety, or stress, you have a variety of options that will help you get a picture of the resources your library already has and what it might be missing.
Want to see what recommended titles you already have? You can limit the results to titles held in your library. Interested in getting the most up-to-date or highly recommended titles? Filter by date or select Essential from the recommendation level menu. You can even get an alert each time a new title is added. Need to weed? We’ve got a recommendation level just for titles that may be out of date. And since adults aren’t the only ones struggling right now, don’t forget that you can also filter by age range to ensure that your collection can meet the needs of patrons of all ages.
Ashley Lyons is a Readers' Advisory Librarian at NoveList.
