Library Research Notes #58
What are we bringing into 2024?
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Hello lovely readers,
I realize that we are already a week into the new year, but being the first post, I feel like it is still okay to wish you a Happy New Year!
Rather than a roundup of stuff that happened last year, I would like to offer a short list of things we should consider bringing into 2024. Energetically, last year was both difficult and uplifting for me. At the end of the year, as you saw, my posting schedule got a bit chaotic, so order and organization is something I want to take into 2024 for this newsletter.
The last two posts noted that Nazis are thriving here on Substack and, although they are hard to find (only because the search function on the platform is not great) the leadership here has chosen to ignore the issue in favour of ‘free speech’. This, my friends, is bullshit. Free speech is not something that Nazis should be granted. Full stop.
Having said that, I’ve started looking into new platforms to move this newsletter to, so this year we might be leaving behind Substack for something better. I’ll keep you updated on that, as it progresses. I’m in the Substackers Against Nazis group now, and the collective is working on what a good alternative might be, so I’ll see if I go with that. If nothing else, I will continue writing at my blog, which you can visit here: Hippiegrrl Explains It All
Check out this article in the NY Times on the Substackers Against Nazis push to de-platform this hateful rhetoric and the response from Hamish McKenzie: Substack Says It Will Not Ban Nazis or Extremist Speech
Positive actions in 2024
Meditate
At the end of 2023 I signed up for a Headspace membership. I used Headspace when it first came out, but fell off on my practice when we moved. For 2024, I am committing to 10 minutes per day of meditation to ground and center myself. Meditation isn’t just for calming, it can also help you with your relationships as you come to them with a more calm mind and open heart. Of all the positive actions in 2024, I do think that a daily meditation practice is one that is easy to maintain and will pay off in the long run.
To join Headspace with a 40% off discount for the first year, click here: Join Headspace!
Set boundaries
This obviously comes out of my therapy sessions in 2023, but I would also offer that it is helpful in general. You can set boundaries with loved ones, friends, coworkers, bosses, etc. and they can help you deal with any number of situations.
Book: The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban
Podcast: How to set and hold boundaries with Melissa Urban on We Can Do Hard Things
Stay Informed
It is, yet again, an election year. So you know that my posts will be including information about the candidates and voting. Staying informed is key to the success of our nation. We are steadily slipping into a fascist state, but I am hopeful that if enough people are informed and get out to vote, we can turn this shit show around.
Previous posts of note:
Get Organized
I am obsessed with organizing and re-organizing (and re-organizing) my things. On 1 January, I moved everything around in my office to change it up for the new year. I do quarterly purges of books, clothes, social media follows, etc., but this year I would like to start being a bit more mindful and organized about my cleanups. Rather than just shifting things around the room (or the closet) it would be good to get everything out, look at each thing, and then decide whether to keep it or give it away.
Doing a large re-organization of everything you own can be freeing. I’ve never undertaken something this big before, but I’m ready for the challenge. The only time we do major purge events is when we move, but I think doing this activity prior to a move would be helpful. If nothing else, it will free up space for a more relaxed feel in the home.
The key to making the organization stick is to actually make rules around what comes into your home AFTER you do a major purge. It doesn’t have to be as strict as 1 item in, 1 item out, but there should be some rule around reducing clutter. I’ve always been a bit of a saver and that can lead to issues when you don’t force yourself to get rid of things.
YouTube Video: Decluttering & Organizing My Entire Apartment by Tofu Goob
Web Development
This one is quite specific to me, but perhaps you have a goal to learn something that you haven’t followed through on. If so, 2024 is the year!
I’ve been designing and maintaining websites since 2002, but never completed the ‘formal’ training necessary to be a front end (or full stack!) developer. My knowledge of HTML is extensive, but I only have a cursory understanding of CSS and Javascript. This year, I am committing to learning those languages and other libraries, as needed, so that I can fully realize my web design dreams. Codecademy is going to help me get there!
Resource: Codecademy
Be You
Feeling good in your own skin and letting that show is empowering. Allowing yourself to be your most authentic self in front of others can be challenging, but it is worth it.
If you want to get a tattoo - do it.
If you want to change your hair colour - do it.
If you want to change up your presentation to the world - do it.
Let go of others expectations of who they think you should be in the world and shine. We all have to live our individual lives on this planet and we shouldn’t be repressing our desire to be exactly who we want to be, regardless of what others think. So change up your look to be your most real version of YOU and gain the peace that comes with living as you were meant to live.
Thank you for reading along today. If you made it this far - you deserve some good news from the stacks…
Check Out the Top 10 Most Popular Books at the New York Public Library in 2023 (mentalfloss.com)
Libraries for the future: Europe’s new wave of ‘meeting places for the mind’ (theguardian.com)
National Library saves Fairfax photo archive from US landfill (rnz.co.nz)
Memory Cafés at the Library: Supporting Older Adults and Their Caregivers (pwcva.gov)
Search for your next ready by emotion or mood on whichbook.net