News

It has been a little over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect daily life in Chickasha and Grady County. 2020 saw many changes to everyday life as normal routines were upended and interrupted, and people everywhere began to face unprecedented medical, economic, and social challenges. Many people have also felt some of the intangible ways in which the pandemic has disrupted the established trajectory of their lives. These internal struggles can include the loss of a sense of time, a general feeling of ennui, brain fog, and the vague, unsettling feeling that you must be doing something productive yet feeling powerless to do so. 

While there are no easy solutions to uncertainties of this past year, books can help to ease some of the mental strain by providing accessible, self-directed learning and recreation, as well as a much-needed distraction from some of life’s more pressing worries. One book that addresses overcoming mental blocks is Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind by Srinivasan S. Pillay (153.4 Pillay). The premise is that unfocusing your mind and letting it wander is key to unlocking its potential for both logical problem solving and creative thinking. Some of the ways in which to do that include self-talk, reverie, mind wandering, and “the all-important tool of daydreaming.”

The reason for this is that too much intense focus often leads to mental stress, which significantly narrows the range of ideas and is overly reliant on established neurological patterns. The kind of focus that produces scientific discoveries or writes engaging books is intense, but it is also very similar to Csikszentmihalyi’s “flow theory,” where the process of thinking or doing something is so enjoyable that it becomes its own reward.

One solution is to set aside time engaged in mental relaxation, which leads to both cognitive and emotional benefits. When there is no pressure to accomplish a specific task, the brain is free to form new connections and pathways that would otherwise not be possible. This is also very much aligned with the growth mindset, which asserts that the ability to think and learn is a skill that can be developed within everyone. 

There is a chapter dedicated to developing and cultivating creative thinking skills, which are often seen as an innate characteristic that happens with no explanation. However, as someone who spends a lot of time involved in creative pursuits, my experience is that creativity happens by developing new thoughts and ideas in unexpected places, making all the mistakes, and then problem-solving ways to correct all the mistakes, always being ready to learn new things, and having so much fun that I do not want to do anything else.

Neurological perceptions and thinking patterns are also highly individualized in many ways. Understanding your cognitive rhythm and interests can allow you to experience new intellectual horizons. The Chickasha Public Library provides many books that will enhance your cognitive abilities and focus in a variety of areas. This book, as well as many others in the NF 100s (philosophy and psychology) can open up new and fascinating worlds about the wonders of the life of the mind.  Tinker Dabble Doodle Try is a good way to learn how to quiet some of the brain chatter and create new paths of thinking, until one day (as this book beautifully puts it) “you will be fascinated by the jewels of your own intellect.”

In 1931 Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan proposed the five laws of library science. One of them is “Every reader their book”. I use this as a key when helping library patrons find the perfect book for themself. 

Each patron who comes into the library is looking for something different. Some are looking to learn more about gardening. Some want light entertainment. While still others are struggling to find a book that interests them at all. It is my job to help them find what they need and “Every reader their book” is my secret weapon.  

When a patron needs a book about plants I could simply point them to the 635.9 section and say “Go for it.” But even I, and my black thumbs, know that there is more nuance to plants than dirt and green things.( Although most of my plants eventually turn brown.) A book like Hip houseplants (635.965 Hamilton) would be a great resource for a customer who had taken to home horticulture in the last year, but it would be practically useless for a customer wanting to attract birds to their outside garden. That customer would need a Bird-friendly backyard: natural gardening for birds: simple ways to create a bird haven (639.978 Zickefoose.) 

Many people use reading as a form of escape and want a light hearted book to relax with-they would need a book that they could pick up at odd intervals and be able to hop back into the story with no trouble regardless of how long it had been since they had a chance to read that book. If I suggested the book American Gods by Neil Gaiman with its fluctuating cast of characters and timelines the customer may have to spend a few minutes reacquainting themselves with the characters and the situation. “Wait. How did Mr. Wednesday, Shadow, and Mr. Nancy get to this place? Oh yeah, they rode the carousel in the roadside attraction. Yeah, that’s right.”  

Customers of all ages also have different format needs when it comes to books as well meaning that their perfect book may actually be an electronic or audio version or, my favorite, the electronic audio version, of the print title. A person who finds the small print in The Broken Gun by Louis L’amour difficult to read may find the large print version a better fit and less tiring for their eyes.  

Many parents are worried about putting books into their babies hands for fear of them ripping pages. This is an understandable concern as I had to sheepishly present Clumsy Crab  to the front desk one day when my daughter ripped a page in half while trying to turn the page herself. After this I decided that I would check out board books for my daughter until her fine motor skills progressed a little more. Board books are small books with thick pages that are easy for tiny hands to turn. Many of the board books available at the library can help parents teach baby simple concepts like colors, shapes, and numbers.

The Chickasha Public library serves a diverse group of customers who each need a specific book to suit their needs. One of the most satisfying parts of my job is deploying my secret weapon to ensure that each reader finds the book that fulfils their need in that moment. Come on down to the library and let staff help you find the book that will help you become the reader you were meant to be.