Health & Wellness Resources

As we continue to deal with daily stressors and uncertainties amidst the pandemic, many of us are focusing on self-care to restore balance in our lives. The Library has plenty of free resources to support you whether you’re a wellness guru or just getting started. Check out our staff recommendations and the variety of resources available through your library. Don't have a library card yet? Sign up online!, opens a new window

Featured Staff Picks

• Supervising Librarian, Marleah recommends Build Your Running Body, opens a new window and Good to Go, opens a new window.
• Senior Librarian, Liz recommends titles by authors who delve into physical health struggles through humor:
  • Jenny Lawson: Broken, opens a new window, Furiously Happy, opens a new window, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, opens a new window
  • Allie Brosh: Hyperbole and A Half, opens a new window, Solutions and Other Problems, opens a new window
  • Samantha Irby: Meaty, opens a new window, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, opens a new window, Wow, No Thank You, opens a new window
• Library Specialist, Kevin recommends the picture book, Breathe Like a Bear., opens a new window
• Library Specialist, Leslie recommends the 10% Happier, opens a new window podcast and the Calm, opens a new window app (free for Kaiser members).
• Library Services Manager, RuthAnn recommends NPR's Life Kit, opens a new window podcast. Make sure to check out NPR’s Life Kit Book Recommendations, opens a new window for titles featured on the podcast!
• Senior Librarian, Rebecca recommends the ebook Drawing for Joy, opens a new window as well as music by pianist Jim Brickman, opens a new window and New Age music, opens a new window. These resources are available through the library resource Hoopla,, opens a new window so you can read and listen wherever you are! 

Need a soundtrack to pair with a relaxing activity? Stream music from the Hoopla platform and avoid the ads come along with YouTube  or music websites. One of my longtime favorite musicians is pianist Jim Brickman. He has several albums on Hoopla, ranging from his own instrumentals to quiet piano renditions of classical, popular, and folk music. 

Additional Resources

• Booklists: We have booklists on a wide range of topics, including Positive Self Talk, opens a new window, Resolve to Eat Healthy, opens a new window, Meal Prep, opens a new window, Humor in the Workplace,, opens a new window The Science of Meditation, opens a new window and many more in Health & Fitness, opens a new window. 
• Audiobooks: Listening to an audiobook can make the daily commute or doing chores go by more quickly. See what's new in our CD and downloadable audiobook collection, opens a new window.
• Digital Magazines: Conveniently access magazines on your favorite device. Mindful, opens a new window, Eating Well, opens a new window, and Consumer Reports, opens a new window are just a handful of options available through Libby/Overdrive, opens a new window or Flipster, opens a new window.
• Music: Unwind with classical concerts through Medici.tv, opens a new window or try out Freegal, opens a new window to create your own playlists of songs. 
• Video: Stream the Great Courses Collection, opens a new window, which includes courses taught by experts in health, fitness and nutrition as well as broad subjects such as history, science, philosophy, fine art and more!

Visit our eHelp page, opens a new window for tutorials on how to access eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, and other digital resources through Hoopla and Libby/Overdrive.

Connect with Your Community

Participating in a community event is a great way to learn and share ideas in a supportive environment. 

• Join one of the Library's book clubs, opens a new window or start your own using one of our Book Club Kits, opens a new window! 
• Visit the Library's events calendar, opens a new window to see what other events are happening!

-Doris Chen, Librarian at Mitchell Park Library | Follow @dochn, opens a new window on Bibliocommons