I like the winter holidays. Many multicultural celebrations are meant to purge the misfortunes and mistakes of the old year and to have hope and goodwill for the new year. The winter holidays can be a time of contemplation, to re-center yourself, and to strengthen your beliefs and goals. You can look back on the past year, determine what things that were favorable or unfavorable to you, and decide what you are going to do differently in the new year. Whether you are symbolically casting off the sins of the previous year by tossing pieces of bread, food, or stones into a body of flowing water, getting baptized, or writing all the previous year's bad stuff down and burning it, you make the decision to start fresh for the new year. If your goal is to improve yourself, solve family or relationship problems, or just to make some money, Brooklyn Public Library has books, online resources, and staff to help you out. Check out these resources:
Andrus, Aubre. Project you: more than 50 ways to calm down, de-stress, and feel great.
During these uncertain times, where everything feels out of control, all of us need help in staying calm and in control of ourselves. "Project You" gives you techniques on how to center yourself and stay rational. This book is also available as an e-book, which can be downloaded to your smartphone or tablet.
Bennett, Michael. Life Sucks: how to deal with the way life is, was, and always will be unfair.
Even though there are times life sucks, at least you don't have to deal with it alone. So many of us are going through something that causes upheavals, but we have the special people in our lives to help us get through it. This book is also available as an e-book.
Davis, Sampson. We beat the street: how a friendship pact helped us succeed.
Sometimes you need your best friends to spur you to achieve greatness. This book is also available as an e-book.
Donovan, Sandra. Budgeting smarts: how to get goals, save money, spend wisely, and more.
Learning to budget sounds like a lot of work, but is, actually, super easy! You just need to make sure your income is greater than your expenses. This e-book is downloadable, which is good news because you do not have to worry about late fees!
Harrington, Paul. The Secret to Teen Power.
No matter what your situation might be, one thing remains true, you have choices. You have it within you to achieve your greatest success, all you need is to believe you can do it. Some research, some connections, belief in yourself, and you are good to go. This book is also available as an e-audiobook, downloadable to smartphones & tablets.
If you find it difficult to concentrate in a virtual classroom or to remember what your parental units told you to do after school, this e-book will help you pull your wandering thoughts together and focus on the task at hand. Develop ways to improve your listening skills; learn organizational tactics; and become confident and motivated enough to attain your goals!
Most of our Online Resources require a library card to access them remotely.
If you want to see what new virtual programs are going on, check out the teen events calendar.
Want to get ahead in your education? Need something more challenging? Well, the Library has Remote Learning for all ages, students, parents, and teachers alike!
Need something bigger than what's in your curriculum? Brush up or acquire new skills in the Skills Building section.
Interested in any particular jobs? Looking for information on your chosen career field? The Brooklyn Public Library has the exact information you need under Job & Career. There are electronic databases, like Career Cruising, a great place to start when you're looking for information about a career, Brainfuse JobNow, with live online coaches who help you craft your resume and cover letter or help you prepare for an interview, and Lynda.com, that has video courses led by expert instructors teaching business, software, technology, and other recession-proof jobs skills, and giving certificates for course completion.
Here's to hoping for a healthy, joyous, and safe holiday season, and a salubrious New Year! (see, those SAT words can be useful!)
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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