Library news

How can you use the Library to reduce your anxiety?

This week in the UK is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme chosen by the Mental Health Foundation for 2023 is anxiety. Whilst feelings of anxiety are a natural human response to stress or danger, your anxiety can become a problem if it persists for long periods of time, or if it stops you doing things you need to, or things you enjoy. The Mental Health Foundation feels it is particularly important to address the topic of anxiety now because of the effects of the pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns, on the UK populations anxiety levels, which rose during the pandemic and have not fallen back to pre-pandemic levels since. On top of the aftereffects of the pandemic, a March 2023 survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation found that the cost-of-living crisis was a leading cause of anxiety. The survey also found that 86% of 18 to-24-year-olds had experienced anxiety in the two weeks prior to the survey taking place, demonstrating how prevalent anxiety is amongst young people.

In light of the Mental Health Foundations choice to explore anxiety this week and the results of the March 2023 survey, we would like to take the time to remind our users of some of the resources the library has to offer which could help reduce anxiety. 

Start reading for pleasure

We can imagine that, for many of our students, the thought of reading anymore than they already have to for their studies does not sound particularly appealing, or in fact anxiety reducing. However, there is is plenty of research to suggest that reading, particularly reading fiction, has the power to significantly reduce stress and anxiety. If you are interested in taking up reading for pleasure as a means of reducing your anxiety, you can check out this blog we posted last week all about our new 'Reading for pleasure' themed collection, or you can head straight over the the collection here. 

No to reading? How about watching?

If you're not convinced that reading for pleasure will reduce your anxiety, or you just simply don't fancy it, that's okay! None of these solutions are one size fits all and luckily our collection does not stop at books. If you'd rather watch Pride and Prejudice than read it, or you'd prefer to get lost in the screen adaptations of The Lord of the Rings rather than Tolkein's words, you should have a browse of our Multimedia Film & TV collection.

Take advantage of our tranquillity space

Our tranquillity space opening in 2021 and is designed to cater to the needs of our neurodiverse users as well as any students or staff members that need a quiet, relaxing space to decompress. The tranquillity space is intended to be single occupancy; however, you may bring a friend or support worker in the room with you if needed. Inside you'll find beanbags, a white noise machine, sensory lighting and blinds. We have also recently added jigsaw puzzles and some short self-help books to help you take your mind of off any anxiety you might be facing. 

Take a break

If you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed in the Library, it may be a good idea to take a break from your studies. You could visit the aforementioned tranquillity space or, as the weather improves, you could have a wander around campus or sit outside in the fresh air. Or you could visit the Costa cafe area on the ground floor of the AKLC for a slice of cake or a hot beverage. After all, there's very little that can't be made better by something sweet. 

Remember to ask for help if you need it

A great way to alleviate and stress or worries you have is to share it with others, and our Library staff are here to make your life easier. If you're worried about a piece of work or trouble with referencing is causing you anxiety, you can contact your Liaison Librarian for help. If you can't find an item on our shelves or you need help with borrowing/returning items you can visit the Library Helpdesk for some friendly help or advice. We'll do whatever we can to make your day just that little bit stressful. 

If you need support with your mental health, including anxiety, please visit the Mental health and wellbeing webpage of the LTU website to find out how the University can help you. 

If you would like to learn more about Mental Health Week 2023 click here to view the Mental Health Foundation's website, or if you would like to access some further resources surrounding mental health and wellbeing, have a browse of our 'Mental Health' themed collection here.

Leaving LTU? Remember to return your Library books!

Calling all soon to be LTU graduates, the Library would like to encourage you to return any outstanding items on your account as soon as possible. 

Items can be returned via the self-service machines in the AKLC foyer or the Library Helpdesk. If you need to return any items outside of our opening hours, you may do so via our book return bin, which is located to your right as you enter the AKLC (you will need your university ID card to gain access to the building). 

If you have items to return but are unable to get to Horsforth campus to do so, you can use our free postal returns service. Simply generate a return label and then take your items to your nearest drop-off point. Parcels must be securely wrapped and weigh less than 5kg each. 

There could be something in it for you...

As an added bonus, if you return your outstanding items before the end of June 2023, you will be automatically entered into a prize drawer to win a £50 Amazon voucher! The winner will be drawn on Monday 3rd July and contacted by email by 13th July. 

Why you should be reading for pleasure

You may have noticed this week that a new 'Reading for pleasure' themed collection has been added to the Library website. To accompany the release of this collection we are highlighting 4 ways reading for pleasure can benefit you. 

Reduce stress and anxiety

We're sure the idea of adding any more reading to your daily routine is a stomach churning thought for many of our students, but we promise it can actually reduce your stress rather than add to it! The act of reading for pleasure is a great way to escape your busy life and unwind, and there is real science behind this claim. For example, a 2006 study by the University of Sussex found that reading can actually slow your heart rate, release muscle tension and reduce stress levels. Think of reading for pleasure as a massage for your brain, which is why reading is the perfect activity for before bed. 

Sleep better

Another reason reading can make a great night-time activity is because it can help you sleep better, because of its stress reducing qualities. Reading is also great for your sleep because it helps you avoid blue light before bed. We're all guilty of scrolling aimlessly on our devices until its way past bedtime, but it is really beneficial to your sleep to take some time away from your devices and unplug from the outside world at least 30 minutes before bed. Not only is reading a great way to unwind after a busy day, it also means you get to avoid blue light, which is known to disrupt your sleep. 

Exercise your brain

Your brain is a sponge that soaks up everything you see, and because of this reading can be a great form of passive exercise for your brain. Not only is reading for pleasure a great way to broaden your vocabulary and improve your own writing skills, but it can also help you to improve your creative thinking by exposing you to new and different viewpoints and concepts. 

Improve your empathy

Multiple studies have found that reading can improve your empathy, as well as how you understand yourself and your own thought, feelings and emotions. Reading about experiences different from our own, whether that be through fiction or non-fiction books, naturally makes us more empathetic and tolerant as well. So ultimately reading has the power to make us all better people. 

If you would like to reap all these benefits make sure you check out our Reading for pleasure collection.

You'll be hard pressed not to find something in our collection that doesn't peak your interest, but if you're feeling particularly fussy you can also check out our book exchange in the cafe area of the Andrew Kean Learning Centre. 

We've added a new webpage to the Library website!

You might have noticed that last week we added a new webpage, titled 'New resources', to the Library website. This page is to keep our users up-to-date on what new print books, ebooks, journals and databases we are adding to our collection.

Alongside highlighting what new resources are available to our users, you can also now find our themed collections from here. These are carefully curated by our librarians and are designed to provide you with easy access to relevant and topical resources to subjects such as LGBTQ+ History, Black History and Decolonising the University. 

The 'New resources' page can be found under the 'Finding resources' dropdown on the Library website. We hope you find it useful!