Welcome to Library Libations! Why the name Library Libations? Well, my cup runneth over with library resources that I would like to share with you. While I won’t be filling your glasses with wine, I would like to fill your minds!

By now I am sure you’ve already made a list of resolutions: save money, exercise more, get organized etc. Put that list away for now. There is something more important you should do. Turn off your smartphone and head down to your local library. When you’re there, take a look around. Walk up and down the stacks. Now, find a chair in the quietest corner you can. Sit down and listen. Can you hear anything? NO? GREAT! That is the sound of tranquility and order. Isn’t it marvelous?! This is where the new year should begin. Disconnect from social media and emails. Get your thoughts in order. Stay in that chair as long as you want because we enjoy having you here. When you’re ready, head to the desk and sign up for a library card. Be sure to ask the librarian lots of questions about what the library offers (we LOVE sharing information).

So how to use the card? Let’s think about that list of resolutions. Want to save money? Borrow from the library. We lend books, magazines, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks and digital downloads. Hardcover novels cost upwards to $30. If you’re an avid reader, buying new books, you’re probably blowing hundreds of dollars a month for books you’ll never pick up again. If you are pressed for time, place a hold on any book from home,we’ll pull it off the shelf for you and have it ready to be picked up. We’ll even send you a text message when it’s ready.

Take it from the organizational professionals (we’ve been keeping books in order for years now) there are thousands of great books on getting organized. The hottest book about organization in 2016 was Marie Kondo’s “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” I found it a bit extreme. Perhaps practicing a more simple, minimal or mindful lifestyle is for you. Try “Zero Waste Home” by Bea Johnson or “Simple Matters: Living with Less and Ending Up with More” by Erin Boyle. And for the truly mindful person read “A Year without Made in China: One Family’s True Life Adventure in a Global Economy” by Sara Bongiorni. Can you survive without any items made in China? It’s a challenge!

Finally, we face the dreaded fitness resolution. Skip that gym membership. The world is your gym. Walk outdoors when you can. Your local library provides free digital downloads. While I walk, I listen to audio books on my smartphone. It’s amazing how the time flies when you listen to a great biography or even better, a motivational book. Trapped indoors for the winter? Grab a fitness DVD from the library. All your need is a 6 ft x 6 ft space in your home. I’ve tried Zumba, Yoga, Pilates even some classics like the Jane Fonda workout.

So there you have it. Most of us are quick to pull out a debit or credit card to help get organized. Now all of your resolutions can be solved with the power of one little library card.

Kristin Amaral is the information and technology associate at Rogers Free Library in Bristol.