Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.

Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and borderline personality disorder. The good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible.
Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan.

In addition to medication treatment, psychosocial treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, peer support groups, and other community services can also be components of a treatment plan and that assist with recovery. The availability of transportation, diet, exercise, sleep, friends, and meaningful paid or volunteer activities contribute to overall health and wellness, including mental illness recovery.
Here are some important facts about mental illness and recovery:

• Mental illnesses are biologically based brain disorders.  They cannot be overcome through “will power” and are not related to a person’s “character” or intelligence.

• Mental disorders fall along a continuum of severity. Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 Americans — who suffer from a serious mental illness. It is estimated that mental illness affects 1 in 5 families in America.

• The World Health Organization has reported that four of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries are mental disorders. By 2020, Major Depressive illness will be the leading cause of disability in the world for women and children.

• Mental illnesses usually strike individuals in the prime of their lives, often during adolescence and young adulthood. All ages are susceptible, but the young and the old are especially vulnerable.

• Without treatment the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives; The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than 100 billion dollars each year in the United States.

• The best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.

• With appropriate effective medication and a wide range of services tailored to their needs, most people who live with serious mental illnesses can significantly reduce the impact of their illness and find a satisfying measure of achievement and independence. A key concept is to develop expertise in developing strategies to manage the illness process.

• Early identification and treatment is of vital importance; By ensuring access to the treatment and recovery supports that are proven effective, recovery is accelerated and the further harm related to the course of illness is minimized.

• Stigma erodes confidence that mental disorders are real, treatable health conditions. We have allowed stigma and a now unwarranted sense of hopelessness to erect attitudinal, structural and financial barriers to effective treatment and recovery. It is time to take these barriers down.

From the Kane County Behavioral Health Council's website  https://www.wesupportmentalhealth.org/faq/:

If you are struggling with mental illness or know someone who does, please attend the Layperson's Guide to Mental Illness on Thursday January 30th, 2020 from 7:00-8:30 pm. Get educated so you can make informed decisions on treatment. You can register by clicking here https://www.frvpld.info/laypersons-guide-mental-illness

 

 

With the outside temperatures feeling more like winter, now is the time to read some books featuring snow, frigid settings, and characters in survival mode. These titles cover a mix of genres: adventure, horror, contemporary fiction, mystery, and, in some cases, romance. 

Alone by Cyn Balog
Seda, sixteen, feels her invisible childhood nemesis, Sawyer, growing stronger just as a group of stranded teens takes shelter from a blizzard in the dilapidated mansion Seda's mother inherited.

Avalanche by Melinda Braun
After an avalanche hits, a group of skiers in the Rocky Mountains must survive Mother Nature and a life-threatening injury to one of their members in order to make it out of the mountains and find help.

The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody
Ryn, eighteen, trapped by a massive blizzard in the Denver airport, meets some unique characters who help her cope with survivor's guilt on the first anniversary of her best friend's death.

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
Britt goes hiking in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming with her ex-boyfriend Calvin, but trouble arises when she is caught in a blizzard, taken hostage by fugitives, finds evidence of murders, and learns whom to trust and whom to love.

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
Holed up in their missing neighbors' cabin in a Montana blizzard, Zoe and her little brother are rescued from an intruder by X, a bounty hunter sent from the Lowlands to claim the souls of evil men. X is forbidden from revealing himself to anyone other than his prey, but breaks the rules for Zoe. Together they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future.

Survive by Alex Morel
A troubled girl is stranded in an arctic winter terrain after a plane crash and must fight for survival with the only other boy left alive. It was recently announced that streaming service Quibi is making a series starring Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins based on this book.

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp
When Corey moves away from Lost Creek, Alaska, she makes her friend Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return. Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger. With every hour, Corey's suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets-- but piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter.

Trapped by Michael Northrop
Seven high school students are stranded at their New England high school during a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive.

The Starlight Claim by Tim Wynne-Jones
Four months after Nate's best friend, Dodge, disappeared in a boat accident on Ghost Lake, Nate is still having nightmares. The boys had planned to go up to camp together that winter--their first trip without Nate's survival-savvy father. When Nate decides to make the treachorous journey to his family's remote camp at Ghost Lake alone, it's half pilgrimage, half desperate hope he'll find a trace of his lost friend when no one else could. Instead he finds his family's camp occupied by strangers--men who've escaped from a maximum-security prison. How could they have known about the cabin? Nate's survival now depends on both his wits and his skill as an outdoorsman. As the situation spirals out of control, Nate finds himself dealing with questions even bigger than who gets to leave camp alive.

At Randall Oaks, we wanted to know what our fellow readers enjoyed most this year so we asked our patrons about their favorite books released in 2019. See something you missed on here? Start 2020 with one of the best of the previous year! 

 

FICTION:

                         

                        

 

NON-FICTION:

                  

            

 

SPECIAL MENTIONS: Books read in 2019 that were loved so much we're ignoring the earlier, non-2019 release dates.

          

                      

               

 

               

 

 

The holiday season is upon us, and that means decorating, shopping for presents, planning holiday gatherings, and more. It can be a stressful time, but the library has resources that can help make your holiday shopping and planning easier! A few years ago, I talked about Consumer Reports online and all it has to offer to help with holiday shopping. This year, I want to talk about one of our newer eResources, Creativebug. Creativebug offers instructional videos for a variety of arts and crafts projects. So how does this apply to the holiday season? Creativebug has a lot of fun, unique, creative ideas for holiday decorations, gifts you can make, holiday cards, wrapping presents, and even food for holiday parties. The videos are very straightforward with an expert instructor providing step-by-step instructions and a detailed list of the materials you will need. There are projects for all skill levels, so anyone can join the fun and create really cool stuff! You can access Creativebug from the Research page to see their full catalog of videos but take a look below at a sample of some of the awesome projects that Creativebug has to offer!

 

Decorations

Looking dress your house up for the holidays? Check out these cute, simple holiday decoration projects:

 

 

 

Sew Modern Christmas Stockings: Liana Allday shows you how to create Christmas stockings with fun, vibrant fabrics that require minimal cutting and sewing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Wreath: make a festive wreath using a variety of evergreen branches, berries, pods and pinecones.

                                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cricut Crafts: Winter Trees Décor: use a Cricut die-cutting machine to create a trio of trees that stand up in a container of your choosing.

 

 

 

 

 

Gift Ideas

A lot of the projects on Creativebug can be used to make fun, unique gifts for your loved ones.

 

 

 

Simplicity Sewing: Winter Coat – follow simple steps to sew a winter coat featuring all of the bells and whistles: lining, princess seams, double collar, and toggles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lotion Bars 1/24/19: use a blend of body butters plus beeswax to make a lotion bar that melts with the heat of your skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Cuff Bracelet: Learn bead-weaving skills to create a three-row cuff bracelet. You can use your own color and style preferences and you can choose to stop at one row or add more rows to create the width you prefer.

 

 

 

 

Cards and Gift Wrapping

Get neat ideas for making your own holiday cards, learn gift-wrapping techniques to make wrapping presents easier, and get ideas for making your wrapped presents look even more festive.

 

 

 

Holiday Craft-Along: 30 Days of Cards, Tags and Packaging Ideas - a collection of 30 brief videos that show you fun ways to make handmade cards, gift tags, and creatively wrap gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 Days of Gift Wrap: a collection of 25 brief videos with ideas and techniques for wrapping, adorning and decorating your holiday gifts, from quick fixes to common wrapping dilemmas to more complex projects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Holiday Cards with Sakura 11/28/17: learn simple techniques to create your own cute holiday cards.

 

 

 

 

 

Food

Hosting a holiday gathering or tasked with bringing food to a gathering? Creativebug even has cool ideas for making and presenting food!

 

 

 

Wilton Method: Sugar Cookies – make classic sugar cookies using the Wilton method. You will learn how to make the cookie dough, cut out shapes, and get tips for decorating the cookies with royal icing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Make Pie Crust: learn how to make a perfectly flaky pie crust along with tips for handling and rolling out the dough. Learn some pie crust designs, such as lattice crust, cut outs, and crimped edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chromatic Tablescape 11/17/16: learn how to craft a stunning edible tablescape that is perfect for the holidays.

 

 

 

 

 

This is just a small sample of the arts and crafts videos that Creativebug has to offer. Log on to Creativebug to look at these videos and many, many more. If you have any questions about Creativebug, please don’t hesitate to stop by the Information Desk, call us at 847-428-3661, or email us at libraryhelp@frvpld.info.

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Starting on January 1, 2020, patrons of the Fox River Valley Public Library District will no longer be charged fines for materials that are returned late. In addition, existing overdue fines will be waived from all patron accounts.

Studies have shown that the implementation of late fees on overdue materials does not actively encourage patrons to return materials on time. Instead, these fees act as a barrier for some patrons and their families from continuing to visit our libraries altogether.

We want patrons to feel comfortable checking out materials at our libraries without the fear of accruing fees. The library’s mission statement is to provide equal opportunity for all to learn, explore, imagine, create, and connect in a welcoming environment and the existence of overdue fines prevents that from being a universal truth for all our patrons. Our hope is that the removal of fines makes the library a more positive space and allows us to focus on serving the public in a more productive way.

How will we get our items back?

No overdue fines does not mean “no responsibility.” There will still be due dates. We will still send reminders, and auto-renewals will continue as they do now.

At 14 days after the due date, materials not returned or renewed are marked as long overdue. Until those materials are returned, that person will be unable to check out anything else. At 45 days, items will be marked as lost and the patron’s account will be billed for replacement.

Are there any exceptions to this policy?

Due to the higher cost of replacement, some items in our collection will continue to accrue fines: hotspots, laptops, and kits such as American Girl Dolls, Early Learning, and STEAM kits.

All other materials – books, DVDs, Blu-Rays, video games, audiobooks and PlayAWays, magazines, library bags – will no longer amass overdue fines.

How much will this cost the library?

It’s a common misconception that we rely on fines for our funding. Overdue fines represent a tiny fraction of our annual budget – it’s actually less than 1% (0.55%) of our revenue.

However, we hope to replace any lost revenue incurred with overdue fines with services that are beneficial to the public. Stay tuned!

What if an FRVPLD cardholder checks out at another library?

FRVPLD cardholders will be charged overdue fines according to that library’s overdue policies. Our neighbor Algonquin is also fine-free and does not charge late fees to any patrons who use their libraries.

What if a non-FRVPLD cardholder checks out at our libraries?

No overdue fines will accrue for any patrons who check out materials at either our Dundee or Randall Oaks locations. These patrons will adhere to the same overdue policies as FRVPLD cardholders.

 

If you have questions about your account, please call us at (847) 428-3661 or email librarynotice@frvpld.info.

We are pleased to announce that we’ve added a new eResource called Creativebug! Creativebug provides over 1,000 online, video-based art and craft classes led by expert instructors. Classes cover a variety of areas, including painting, drawing, ceramics, sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, paper crafts, and more! Free crochet and knitting patterns are available for download as well. Creativebug is free to use and can be used in the library and remotely from home.

Accessing Creativebug

1. Go to the Research page on the library’s website.
2. The eResources on this page are in alphabetical order, so scroll down to the C’s and then click on “Creativebug.”

3. A Creativebug login screen will come up that requires you to put in your library card number and PIN. The PIN will be the password you use to log in to your library account on our website.

4. You then will have to create a free account. This is so you can keep track of the videos you have watched and save your place if you need to and then resume right where you left off.

5. Once you create an account, just click “See Latest Classes Here” to go to the Creativebug homepage. NOTE: Once you have an account, this button comes up after you put your card number and password in when you go to Creativebug moving forward.

 

Using Creativebug

On the homepage, you can browse the different types of videos. They are organized by category and categories include Art + Design, Sewing, Quilting, Paper, Knitting, Crochet and more. You can also browse classes by clicking on “Classes” at the top of the page. If you click on “Inspiration” at the top of the page, you can go to the pattern library and download knitting and crochet patterns for free, look at blog posts about arts and crafts, read about the different instructors that do the videos, and more.

The videos vary in length but are all lead by instructors who are experts in these different arts and crafts areas. With each video, the instructor will show you how to do a type of project. They include a list of all the materials that are needed so you can get all of the materials and follow along. There is also a discussion area where you can add comments or ask the instructor questions. There is also a gallery where people can share a photo of their finished product, there is a transcript of the video, and more.

 

Creativebug provides a fun, engaging way to try different kinds of art and craft projects. Whether you are a long time crafter or are looking to try something new, Creativebug will have something for you. The videos range in difficulty level, so anyone can find something fun to try! If you have any questions about Creativebug, please feel free to stop by the Information Desk, call us at 847-428-3661, or email us at libraryhelp@frvpld.info.