Library Buzz: Viva la Resolution

(The library is closed for New Years. Please enjoy this past article in the meantime. Originally published in the Andover American 1/3/13. "Library Buzz" is written by Toria Hamilton.)

At New Years, I start thinking about resolutions. Lots of them. I know I’m not going to wake up on January 1^st with Magical Habit Changing Powers, but I just can’t help myself. This year (I think every year) I will finally get it together!

Of course, the feeling won’t last. By February, I’ll accept my personal limitations and live in the same twenty-four hour days that other people do. But for now, I have plans to make.

Maybe you do, too?

To help you find the books you need to meet your goals, here’s a brief lesson about library organization: The Andover Public Library uses the Dewey Decimal System, where nonfiction books are labeled with a number depending on their topics. The books are arranged in number order, so books on the same subject are kept together. If you know the Dewey Decimal number for the topic you want, it’s easy to find it on the shelf.

If you resolved to lose weight this year, tasty new recipes will help you stay on track. Whether you opt for a low carb, slow carb, or no carb diet, you’ll find all our cookbooks under nonfiction number 641. Eat more veggies, like the ones in “The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without” by Mollie Katzen, but beware of fabulous desserts like those in Anna Ginsberg’s “The Daily Cookie.” Since all the cookbooks are in the same place, you may have to flex your willpower muscles.

Speaking of flexing muscles, you’ll find exercise videos under nonfiction number 613. As a yoga junkie, I recommend Rodney Yee’s “Yoga for Beginners”, which is a great introduction to yoga with plenty of vocal prompts so you can focus on finding inner peace rather than watching the screen. Yoga not your thing? We also have several fat burning workouts from Denise Austin and other energetic trainers.

Have you resolved to save money or pay off debt? Books on financial planning are kept under nonfiction number 332. Try Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover” or Amy Dacyczyn’s “Tightwad Gazette”. Or maybe this is the year you’ll finally get organized, with a little help from books under 640 such as “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Organizing Your Life” by Georgene Lockwood or Peter Walsh’s “How to Organize Just About Anything”.

The library can help you fulfill all your New Year’s goals, like learning a new language (Spanish 468), learning to play an instrument (Guitar 787), or mastering a new craft (Watercolor 751). If you’d like help finding other books on other topics, ask a librarian or visit our catalog at http://catalog.andoverlibrary.org/polaris/. We’ve got your number.

And remember, your books will be due by February. Let’s try to maintain our resolve at least that long, okay?