It’s that time of the semester. Do you feel like you are drowning in papers, projects and studying with the semester ending soon? The RLB Library knows you are experiencing immense stress, especially during the pandemic, and it’s important you take care of yourself mentally and physically. To help you de-stress, the RLB Library’s Alisha Curtis has put together a guide with suggestions to take a break–by watching a funny video or animal cam, strolling in a local park, doing yoga to stretch out the kinks from sitting too long, or putting together an online jigsaw puzzle.
You can also explore these resources from the RLB Library to help you briefly chill out:
- If you’re a history buff, check out the database Chronicling American Newspapers to peruse old newspaper articles and ads dating back to the 1700’s. Immerse yourself in a different time period or laugh at the corny ads! There are also new databases on Black history, publications from the French Revolution (1848), and 19th century slavery manuscripts from Timbuktu.
- Closer to home, check out the Special Collections and Archives’ digital exhibits featuring Baltimore history and The University of Baltimore history. You’ll be amazed at how parts of Baltimore have changed or stayed the same. If you are a baseball fan (Orioles, of course!) check out this recent Baltimore magazine article–the opening photo is from our Special Collections and Archives.
- Watch a movie–The Library provides access to several streaming services through which you can watch movies. Read all about them and connect through our Streaming Video Resources guide.
- Be visually inspired by art and imagery from museums, galleries, and other art venues in the database Artstor (to access the curated collections, contact Debbie Li). Browse e-books on fashion, design, architecture, film, and photography in the database Bloomsbury Applied Visual Arts.
These are just a few of the resources you can access. Don’t forget we have many online resources and services available 24/7 for you, including librarians on chat who can help you with your questions and Writing Center staff who can provide feedback on your paper. The RLB Library is here for you—we can help you get through this semester! (But don’t procrastinate!)