Healthy Living at Stockbridge Library

Written by Sherri McConnell, Branch Head, CADL Stockbridge

When you think of a public library, books come to mind because lending books was where it all started. However, a library’s purpose has grown to include programs for all ages, access to computers and the internet, a place to meet and a place to borrow things other than books. Capital Area District Libraries' mission reflects these additional services: Empowering our diverse communities to learn, imagine and connect. One aspect of this empowerment is providing resources to support healthy individuals and healthy communities.

For starters, the CADL Stockbridge staff can assist in finding health-related information, whether it is from a library book, a health information database like Consumer Health Complete from EBSCO, provided by the Library of Michigan, or another online resource. While staff can assist in finding information from trusted sources, they cannot recommend a course of action or treatment.

We read in many places about the health benefits from activity, both physical and mental, and the library has resources for both. Available at the Stockbridge Library for check-out all year long are pickleball racquets, disc golf sets, a yoga kit and a kit for exercising memory. From May to October, we have two adult-size bicycles available for check-out overnight or all weekend. CADL’s Library of Things includes even more items to kickstart mental activity— sewing machines, metal detectors, telescopes, board games, musical instruments, Chromebooks and much more. Just ask at our service desk for details.

Both body and brain benefit from learning and socializing, and libraries provide opportunities for these too. Look at the program schedule for any library, and you will find book discussion groups for all ages, storytime programs for children, movie nights, craft groups, and much more. No library card is required.

The Stockbridge Library collaborates with Stockbridge Area Senior Center to offer a book discussion group there, open to all, on the third Tuesday of the month at 12:30 p.m. and morning coffee hour trivia on select Thursdays. At the library, we offer a coffee chat for adults on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and Family Storytime, which features pre-literacy skills on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Adults, teens, and tweens are welcome to a new Quilting Club that meets on the first and third Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check our monthly program schedule at cadl.org/events and search by branch for movie nights, drop-in crafts, and performers of all ages. The public library in your community provides the tools, information, and community to make being healthy accessible and fun.

Capital Area District Libraries’ Stockbridge branch is located at 200 Wood St. For more information, call 517-851-7810 or visit cadl.org.