Audio stress management tools

 

soothing sounds provide solace

This month we are working through a variety of strategies  to help build your resilience to stress, and to manage your workplace stress levels. Your sense of sound is a powerful one; and with some thoughtful strategies, you can use that to help reduce the stress you feel at work.

We have looked at using ambient noise as a strategy for helping you to be more focused and effective at work. Building on that now gives you some tools to specifically feel more relaxed as you listen. Everyone has different preferences, so what makes you feel calm might irritate other people in your office. So use headphones if you need to keep things quiet, but try to build in some time to listen to soothing sounds when things start to build up at work

One tool you might enjoy is the website Noisli. “Noisli is here to make you more focused and boost your productivity. A background noise generator that helps you drown out annoying noises and that lets you create your perfect environment for working and relaxing. You can mix different sounds and create your perfect sound environment tailored to your personal need and taste.” I enjoy mixing in ocean waves, crackling fire, and just a hint of wind. Noisli can be used on your computer, or with an app on your phone. You can also enjoy the changing colors on the background, if you are watching the site.

Libraries improving Wikipedia: Are you in??

information is cool – and better when it’s accurate!

Library people: We all know our patrons use Wikipedia. We use Wikipedia. It’s a pretty awesome tool! But it can be better!! We are passing on some information about strategies you can use to help Wikipedia to be better and more accurate.

Try it for yourself! Set up a Wikipedia event in your library! Use this as a starting point to make our of our frequently-used resources to be stronger!

Notable Dates for your Noggin: January

Each month we’ll bring you a compiled list of fun national holidays, birthdays of authors, and publication dates of favorite books. You can use these for your own personal use or for some library inspiration! Share what inspired you in the comments.

January is National Hobby Month! Other things to celebrate in January. . .

Let’s read together in January!

so many books, so little time!

As we close out an interesting 2016, CMLE is moving ahead with our book groups! If you have time over your holiday celebrations, you might check out our latest additions to our book groups. As always, this is a low-key opportunity to read books; so read and join in the comments, read the discussion questions, or just read the book and think thoughts to yourself and chat with your colleagues about the latest picks. Whatever works best for you is fine! (We are library people; we just like to read!)

For the CMLE Professional selection, in January we are going with How to Win Friends and Influence People. It seemed like a good choice for January, when many of us are working on our New Year’s resolutions, and thinking about ways to improve our work lives. Dale Carnegie’s book is a classic, and can help to jump-start all of us in making new relationships. At CMLE Headquarters, building relationships around our system, and across the profession, is our main goal! So let’s all make this a part of our daily work.

Of course, we also have a “for fun” book selection in the Enjoying Books group. This month we are going with The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman. As always, our book pick has a librarian as the main character. We are moving through different genres each month, and in this literary fiction book you have the chance to look at all kinds of imagery of fire and ice. Have you read any of her other books? It would be interesting to see what kinds of themes and symbolism carry over across her many novels!

Enjoy your holiday! Enjoy your reading! And come back to us in January – ready to do some great library work!!

What’s RUSA and how can it help you?

helping people is what they do!

CMLE Headquarters wants to give you all the tools that you need to be successful in our ever-changing profession! Having support around our system is helpful, and reaching out to professional organizations across Minnesota and across the country can help you to be stronger, better, and more efficient in your daily work. Working in a library is tough!! We want to help you make it as easy as possible.

This is a webinar from RUSA to help you get acquainted with their work. Tune in live if you can; or you can check out the video replay later.

FROM ALA:

You’ve heard of RUSA, but what is it? If you’re in user services, we do what you do!  See how you can find your home in ALA and get involved in the Reference and User Services Association by attending  our RUSA 101 webinar. Here are the details:

RUSA 101

Tuesday, December 20 @ 2 p.m. ET (1 CT/12 MT/11 PT)

URL to join meeting: http://ala.adobeconnect.com/r2yrjiy5hrv/

Use your headset for audio or call 1-888-935-0782, Participant Code: 94018206#.

We will discuss RUSA and its 6 sections (focused on business reference, collection development, emerging technologies, history, reference services, and resource sharing). Cynthia Slater, membership chair of BRASS, RUSA’s Business Reference and Services Section, will be on hand to provide an in-depth look at her section.

If you are unable to make it, we will also make a recording of the session available. Feel free to email me with any questions at amberp@uga.edu!

Please email me if you have any questions.

Amber Prentiss

Chair, Membership Committee, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)

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