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Themed ambient sounds – can they help you work?

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hogwarts-express
Escape reality for awhile!

Have you ever tried working with ambient noise in the background? Did it help make you more effective, or did you find it distracting or stressful? Personally, I’ve never tried specifically ambient noise, although music definitely helps my productivity and mood. But an article from Book Riot “Immerse Yourself Into the Harry Potter World with Harry Potter Ambient Sounds” got my attention (for obvious reasons) and I decided to give it a try!

The article directs you to AmbientMixer.com which features a huge selection of free ambient sounds and even lets you create your own, or make adjustments to existing sounds. After sampling different options like “Storm on the Hogwarts Express” and “Autumn Forest” I ended up listening to “Hufflepuff Common Room” the longest. I liked the combination of birds chirping, the sound of a pen scratching, and the faint purr of a cat in the background.

For all you fellow nerds out there, it’s not just Harry Potter ambient sounds that are available – they have Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings!

This article from Brainscape talks more about the “ideal noise level” for being more productive (they relate it to studying, but it could be applied to other tasks too) and gives some suggestions on the type of noise that could be helpful based on the task you are performing. If you really want to get in-depth, check out this article from Scientific American, which suggests that background noise may actually have a negative impact on brain functioning, and impair learning and memory.

At CMLE, classical music tends to keep us focused and uplifted. Check out YourClassical.org which features special playlists for relaxation, inspiration, and more! Or, if you prefer white noise, check out the site Noisli for different sounds options.

What do you think? Do you like to work or learn in complete silence, with music, or with ambient sounds?

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Notable Dates for your Noggin: November 2016

Each month we’ll bring you a compiled list of fun national holidays, birthdays of authors, and publication dates of favorite books. You can use these for your own personal use or for some library inspiration! Share what inspired you in the comments.

scroll-307485_960_720November is National Novel Writing Month! Other things to celebrate in November. . .

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CMLE's Goodreads: Check out our picks for November!

november-book-club
Join our reading fun!

 

Hello, fellow book-loving library people!

Have you been taking part in CMLE’s Goodreads book group? For the month of October we read and discussed two books.In our CMLE Librarian Professionals group, we learned about getting organized and happy with The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Our other group, CMLE Librarians Enjoying Books, had fun reading about a Minnesotan librarian and her helpful, conveniently magical, cats in Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly.

But November is quickly approaching! We are excited to announce our book choices for next month:

cover_good_2_gr8CMLE Librarian Professionals will be reading Good to Great – Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Other’s Don’t by Jim Collins. Goodreads summarizes the premise of the book as:  “But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?” We will discuss the ideas presented in the book and learn more about achieving success. You can read the author’s top 10 tips to improve your company in this article from Inc.com.

dewey-library-catCMLE Librarians Enjoying Books will read Dewey: The Small-Town Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron. Dewey was abandoned in a library in Spencer, Iowa and eventually became the library’s cat. We are excited to read about his journey!

Watch this video featuring Dewey and friends:

Like last month, we’ll have limited copies available of each book to borrow, so let us know if you want to be put on the borrowing list.

We are looking forward to another month of reading!

Academic, Check this out:, CMLE, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special, Tech

Strategies to Simplify: Tip 7: Your space matters

“Work simply. Live fully.”  This week CMLE focuses on the following work productivity tip from Work Simply, Carson Tate’s popular book.  At CMLE, we’ve boiled down Tate’s wealth of knowledge from Work Simply to a few key points; please see the book for more detail and resources. At the bottom, see links to earlier tips in the series! Let’s all be our best selves….

This week’s activity: Take ownership of your work space.

In her book Work Simply, Carson Tate makes the case that “An investment in rethinking and reshaping your work environment can pay huge dividends in increased productivity and happiness.” Ultimately, your work space should reflect who you are, the type of work that you do, and help you achieve your highest level of efficiency.

Recently, you discovered your Productivity Style with a simple assessment.

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Work Simply

Find your Productivity Style for some personalized strategies on making the most of your workspace:

Prioritizer: Try to avoid distractions by using the same color pens, folders, and sticky notes. Minimize clutter in your space by using filing cabinets and shelves.

Planner: Give a label maker a try – use it on file folders, containers, and shelves. Be willing to invest in the exact type of organizational supplies you need, like a specially sized folder for receipts or a certain kind of drawer divider.

Arranger: Use office tools that are visually and physically appealing – you may be energized by using a color scheme. Since you thrive on collaboration, try tools like Skype and GoToMeeting.

Visualizer: Try using unlined paper, notebooks, and large whiteboards with lots of colorful markers and pens. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” rings true for you, so keep supplies handy in clear containers.

Previous tips in this series

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Books in the Spotlight: October

LightbulbEach month CMLE will highlight three books that have some factor in common. We hope they will give you ideas for your collection, or influence an activity, lesson plan, or display. 

This month, we share three different books that focus on increasing simplicity and de-cluttering different areas of your life. These books can be used in your library to spread awareness about mental well-being or help people that may be struggling to put their life or possessions in order.

 

joy-of-lessThe Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay

This book is described on Goodreads as “a fun, lighthearted guide to minimalist living.” It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of “stuff” in our lives, whether physical or mental, and this book hopes to guide you through the journey of simplifying. Although, be warned that one reviewer did mention excessive use of exclamation marks in the book, so prepare yourself for some upbeat positivity!

  • The author also has a blog, and where she posted this article about Clearing Our Inner Clutter.
  • Watch this cute, quick video with five tips from The Joy of Less:

declutter-your-mindDeclutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking by SJ Scott and Barrie Davenport

Worrying and overthinking are common problems, but they can have a lasting negative affect on your mental well-being. This book provides tips and specific actions to help clear your mind. By taking the steps outlined in the book, “you’ll have the clarity to prioritize what’s most important in your life, what no longer serves your goals, and how you want to live on a daily basis.”

  • If visual reminders are helpful to you, check out this image to work your way to a clear mind.
  • Get moving and relieve anxiety with this article on walking meditation.

life-changing-magic-of-tidying-upThe Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

This book about organization and simplifying your home has been popular for awhile now, possibly because of it’s promise to get your house in order once, and never need to do it again! The author encourages people to work through their belongings on a category by category basis, and to become aware of each object’s energy, discarding what does not “spark joy.” The book has many fans as well as critics, and if you’ve read the book, tell us your thoughts in our CMLE Librarian Professionals Goodreads book group, where we are currently discussing the book!

  • Having trouble visualizing some of the suggestions from the book? This article that illustrates how to follow the folding directions will help you!
  • Here is a post from the True North Comfort blog that features just the highlights of the KonMari Method.