Mental Health in Uncertain Times was the theme for the Burbank Public Library’s participation in the 2021 Book to Action program in partnership with the Family Service Agency of Burbank.
From March through May, our patrons were encouraged to join in a community-wide conversation about mental health centered around the book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. We discussed the book, learned how to improve our wellness, and participated in a special community-wide activity designed to inspire others.
Our Community Activity
From March 1 -31, 2021 we invited the community to submit favorite inspirational/motivational quotations to the Library. They were printed and displayed along the Chandler Bike Path in May during Mental Health Month.
Here are the selected quotes:
- We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live. – Dolores Huerta
- In a time of destruction, create something. – Maxine Hong Kingston
- We are powerful because we have survived. – Audre Lorde
- For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it. – Amanda Gorman
- You may trod me into the very dirt/ But still, like dust, I'll rise. – Maya Angelou
- You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. – Bob Marley
- There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. – Edith Wharton
- There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind. – Mr. Rogers
- No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. - Charles Dickens
Thank you to all who submitted suggestions.
Our 2021 Programs
- March 18 - Mental Health: Care & Support - a panel discussion with Family Service Agency
- April 8 - May 13 - A clinically guided book club with a licensed therapist
- April 13 - Book Discussion
- April 28 - Food & Mood - a webinar led by Shaunte Bab Ani, neuroscience researcher — Watch on YouTube
- May 11 - Yoga for for Mental Health
- May 15 - Book Discussion
- May 26 - Online program with author, Lori Gottlieb
Our Book
A New York Times bestseller for hardcover nonfiction, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, by Lori Gottlieb, was published in 2019. In this memoir combined with stories of her experiences as a therapist, Gottlieb explores the ups and downs of life and the way our mental state and personal experiences impact how we process challenges. Covering her work as a therapist, as well as her own experience as a therapy patient, Gottlieb explores five patients, including herself, and their different journeys. ABC Studios is developing a television series based on the book, starring Eva Longoria.
Book to Action
Sponsored by the California Center for the Book, Book to Action takes the basic book club concept and expands it to create a dynamic series of events for adults and intergenerational groups. It is a program of the California Library Association, supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. #BooktoAction #MentalHealthInitiative