Michael Perkins – Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library https://tscpl.org Your Place Wed, 25 Apr 2018 22:43:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Why use your library https://tscpl.org/news/reasons-use-library Wed, 06 Sep 2017 13:11:02 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=98842 This Library News highlights Music for a Sunday Afternoon, genealogy resources, the underground library, 2Book Topeka, services in Oakland and Library @ Work.

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The October-November 2017 issue of Library News covers lots of reasons to use your library (in person and virtually) including the return of a well-loved program, “Music for a Sunday Afternoon.” This issue talks about the benefits of games, highlights a one-man play that honors veterans, lists some of the many reasons to visit the library building, gives you a spooky peak beneath the library and features library services in Oakland. Our “I didn’t know the library did that!” article highlights genealogy resources (including staff) available to help you find your people. This issue also points out the convenience of Library @ Work, spotlights booklists around the theme “why” and gives you the details on the fall 2Book Topeka reading and events.

Delve into this issue to learn the why, what, how and when of library happenings. Read Library News at home or in digital format below. It arrives in mailboxes throughout Shawnee County September 10.

Don’t get Library News? Send us a note with your name and address if you’d like to snag a regular copy.

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Construction Update https://tscpl.org/news/construction-update Thu, 13 Jul 2017 18:00:30 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=97522 Follow the work that's underway and planned to enhance and maintain the library building.

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Jump to Collaborative Workspaces | Cafe Pass Through | Outdoor Courtyard | Learning Lab | North Reading Room | Finished Projects

Collaborative Workspaces

overhead collaborative spaces
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workspaces 7-11-17
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Work is underway in the Reference room removing the four existing study rooms and replacing them with eight new collaborative workspaces. These new workspaces will provide places for small groups (six people or fewer) to work together. The west and east wing collections are still open, you just need to walk past the plastic sheeting. For more information check out the Facilities Master Plan PDF.

Cafe Pass Through

Work has begun to create an opening between the Millennium Cafe and the new books, movies and music area. When this is complete you can check out your new book, grab a beverage and a snack, and sit down to read. We’ll have a check out station right by the new cafe entrance. For more information check out the Facilities Master Plan PDF.

Outdoor Courtyard and Café Expansion (Claire’s Corner)


Plans are underway to create an enclosed courtyard area west of the library. This new public space will include a year-round all-weather pavilion, an outdoor courtyard with café services and an outdoor amphitheater for programs and classes. For more information check out the Facilities Master Plan PDF.

 

North Reading Room


We recently added doors on the Core First Bank and Trust Reading Room to help keep noise out of this quiet space. Work will begin soon to update the reading room by replacing the large tables with smaller tables to allow more room for people studying or reading. The computers will be moved out of the nooks (relocated to the east and west wings) and the nooks will be used as individual study areas. The newspapers and magazines will move into this space by the end of 2017.

Finished Projects

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Because of You, Libraries Transform https://tscpl.org/news/because-of-you-libraries-transform Thu, 09 Mar 2017 23:23:28 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=95017 You're Invited! Join the fun at our National Library Week Open House April 9 - 11.

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CEO Gina Millsap welcomes you to National Library Week.

CEO Gina Millsap welcomes you to
National Library Week.

The April-May edition of Library News is your personal invitation to learn how our library can be your “library of the year” through a special National Library Week Open House April 9-15.

Activities begin on Monday, April 9, with a series of “pop-up” events that will give you an insider’s look into what the library has to offer.

We are the Library Journal/Gale Library of the Year, and the 2016 Annual Report highlights what we are doing to earn that honor. The report features the highlights, along with facts and figures on circulation, collections, programs, meeting rooms and funds.

So take a few minutes to read this issue online, or watch for it in your mailbox.

Don’t get Library News? Send us a note with your name and address if you’d like to snag a regular copy.

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Protected: chapter one test https://tscpl.org/novel/chapteronetest Tue, 03 Jun 2014 14:16:28 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=63531 There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

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A Healthy Perspective: Goals https://tscpl.org/health/a-healthy-perspective-goals Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:06:14 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=38105 Join Michael as he shares his personal journey through health and wellness. In this post learn how setting goals can keep moving you forward.

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Before I had my heart attack I made few goals in life, let alone in my health and fitness. Just like a ship with no rudder I floated along with no hope of finding my destination (whether it be life, health, family, etc). Since then I continue to make, revise, and attain goals that I have set for myself. In this article I would like to focus on setting health goals, and why I feel it’s important to have goals in the first part.

One of my all-time favorite quotes is this one by Martin Luther King Jr.:

By replacing the word justice with words such as financial freedom, health and wellness, higher learning, among others, this quote says it all. Reaching certain goals may require significant, long term, individual sacrifice. Simply put, it’s going to be tough. Other times it may be extremely easy to achieve what you are striving for. Maybe by taking that first step, changing that one thing, it was all you needed to get out of your comfort zone and move beyond the who, what and where that is keeping you from attaining your goals.

It is important that you set short term and long term goals. Short term goals can put you on the path to success and help you achieve those far reaching, long term goals. My main health goal is to avoid dying young. Death is inevitable for everyone, I realize that, but my main goal is to do whatever it takes to have a long and healthy life.

To get there, one of my goals has been to eat cleaner. After my heart attack one of the changes my cardiologist wanted me to make was to only eat red meat once a month. I figured why even bother — so for the most part I gave up red meat almost 4 years ago. Recently I gave up animal protein entirely, I didn’t necessarily want to become vegan, but after watching several documentaries and reading numerous articles it seemed to be the right thing to do for my body. I am now almost 4 months along in this decision and to be honest it has been relatively easy. I’m not going to lie; I do miss a little yard bird (chicken) and fresh water salmon occasionally — and I could have them if I wanted to, but for now I will continue to eat vegetables, beans, nuts, grains, and fruits. Hopefully the decision I’ve made will continue to stave off health related issues for years to come.

Another health goal is to exercise at least 5 times a week. I am pretty consistent on this but there are times when I just don’t feel like exercising. I’ve learned over the years that if I put my shoes on and try to at least get in 10 or 15 minutes of exercise it normally turns into 30 minutes or more. I’ve run in several 5Ks over the last several years but I still have a goal of running a 10K and a marathon eventually. My legs are fighting against me but I still hit the road consistently, and I try to push myself to go further every time I go out. It would be easy to give up and say that it’s not going to happen but that goes against my main goal.

Setting and attaining easier goals give us the motivation to move on to harder goals. Whether you want to lose weight, stop smoking, eat better, or exercise more, setting goals will help you achieve what you are after. Just like you don’t want to wait for your ship to float around until you reach the shore, not setting goals can prevent you from reaching your destination. So… grab the oars, set a goal, and start rowing — you will get there quicker and get a good workout in as well.

So what are some of your goals? Tell me in the comments below.

We have a nice selection of material in the catalog that covers how to set and reach them. Here are a few:

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A Healthy Perspective: Creep https://tscpl.org/health/a-healthy-perspective-creep https://tscpl.org/health/a-healthy-perspective-creep#comments Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:36:56 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=33472 Join Michael as he shares his personal journey through health and wellness. In this post learn how to keep unhealthy bad habits (creep) from coming back.

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When you see or hear the word “creep” what comes to mind? Is it a repulsive guy or unpleasant gal that just makes you feel weird every time you see them? Yep, been there. Is it the accumulation of “treasures” that begin to slowly take over your space? If you have seen the show Hoarders you’ll know this is a serious issue. Speaking of Hoarders one guy had over 2500 free-roaming rats in his house. Fun times. But for me, creep is about letting past bad habits enter back into your life.

It happens to a lot of people that have lost weight, stopped drinking, smoking, you name it. You do really great for several years but then you start allowing excuses and bad choices to erode all of the positive changes that you have made to get to a healthier point in your life. Look at most of the Biggest Loser contestants. As soon as they leave the Biggest Loser ranch they slowly return to their old routines and the weight begins to pile on. Becoming a healthy role-model can add pressure to individuals that are not setup to handle it. I am constantly worried that if I put on weight that I will disappoint myself, my family and others that have been inspired by my weight loss and story.

So what steps can you take to push back the creep?

First you need to realize what your creep is. I have identified 3 areas that are mine. Certain foods like chips and salsa (isn’t every day a good reason to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?), chocolate bridge mix, and overeating – even when it’s healthy. Not exercising enough or not pushing myself hard enough when I exercise is another one. I have always said that you can’t out exercise a bad diet and you definitely can’t setting on your couch watching TV with a bag of chips (note to self). My last creep is not getting enough sleep. Going to bed at a consistent time and getting at least 8 hours of rest each night has been critical for my overall health.  These are areas that I need to work on. I will never see the results I am after without keeping these in check.

Secondly and more importantly you need to identify what is causing you to not make your health a priority. For me I get so busy that I start to stress out. It doesn’t help that I accept more job responsibilities regardless of how busy I am. As the work piles on I start to shut down. My diet, sleep, exercising, and time with family suffers because of it. So how do I combat this? I get organized. I make a list and just start going through it. I am not a superhuman so I do what I can. I also start listening to the little voice inside my head that gives me good advice. Saying “No, I don’t have the time to do that for you” in some cases is just as valuable as saying “Yes”. Regardless if it’s work, friends or family.

Here are a few other ways that you can fight creep in your life:

  • One item at a time. If you have several areas that you need to fix, focus on one, and then move on to the others as you accomplish them. By getting one item accomplished it might get the ball rolling to easily knock out the rest.
  • Write it down. Write your goals, plans, etcetera on Facebook, a diary, smartphone, or posted on your mirror. Writing it down can motivate yourself to stick with it. Getting friends involved can be extremely helpful in moving forward.
  • Get it out. If it’s food, get it out of the house and replace it with healthier options.
  • Be honest with yourself. I have another little voice that tells me lies. “Go ahead, you can have that chocolate. You will work it off later.” But when later comes I am tired and unmotivated (probably from the excess sugar in my system). Knowing how to handle these situations when they come up is important. How you respond determines whether the problem areas continue to hang around or whether you push them further away.
  • Be consistent. Once you get rid of the things that keep you from being your healthiest don’t let anything slide. Be committed to whatever it is that keeps you motivated to stay healthy.

So what is your creep? …and what are your plans to push it away? Let me know in the comments section below.

Selections from our Catalog

Quit Digging your grave with a knife and fork: a 12-stop program to end bad habits and begin a healthy lifestyle by Mike Huckabee

 

 

 

The complete idiot’s guide to organizing your life by Georgene Muller

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A Healthy Perspective – Sugar https://tscpl.org/health/a-healthy-perspective-sugar https://tscpl.org/health/a-healthy-perspective-sugar#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 15:33:10 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=30972 Join Michael as he shares his personal journey through health and wellness. In this post learn a little about sugar and its affect on the body and steps you can take to tame your sweet tooth.

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My mom is a great cook, among other things. She is old school. She was the original Martha Stewart, minus all the issues. My mom coined the phrase, “If butter can’t be added to it, it isn’t worth cooking”. Just kidding, but not really. Around the holidays my mom makes pies, cookies, fudge, and other sugary delights. A pinch of this and dash of that. She uses recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation and without question, everything she cooks is delicious. In this months healthy perspective I want to discuss sugar, how it affects the system, and steps you can take to avoid getting too much of the sweet stuff. Sorry Mom.

Like millions of people I have a sweet tooth. I was raised on Kool-Aid, peanut butter and jelly, and chips. I have cavities to prove it. But even now, with everything I know about how sugar, salt and fat affects the body, I still struggle with getting too much of it. I am not talking about having a cookie or a piece of cake occasionally. It is the daily, weekly, and lifetime of indulgence of the sweet stuff. It is bags of M&Ms, quarts of ice cream, and cases of Coke. How the body uses sugar is magic, complex, and amazing. Here is a brief and over-simplified explanation of what goes on.

First off the body needs some sugar (glucose) for energy, without it we wouldn’t function. The body uses insulin (a hormone created by the pancreas) to help move the sugar (glucose) from the bloodstream into the cells where it can be used. When the body does not have enough insulin, or has issues using it, sugar cannot get into the cells. The sugar builds up in the blood stream and starts causing issues that over time can lead to cellular inflammation and damage. Left unchecked, excess sugar in the system can cause obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, immune issues, and more.

It is estimated that the average American consumes between 22 to 52 teaspoons of added sugars a day. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that the average person on a 2,000 calorie diet include no more than 40 grams or 10 teaspoons of added sugars a day1(that figures out to be the amount of sugar in a 12-ounce soft drink). So what can you and I do to tame our sweet tooth? Try the following tips:

  • Eat a good solid breakfast that combines whole grains such as oatmeal and cereals. Fresh fruit, eggs, and whole grain breads are great choices as well. Eating breakfast will keep you full throughout the morning and prevent you from eating high sugary items in the vending machine or snack bar later in the morning. Eating a good quality breakfast also helps to avoid overeating at lunch.2
  • Enjoy a piece of gum. Chewing gum can reduce your cravings. It also makes your breath fresh (and who doesn’t need that).
  • Grab an apple, banana, or some other type of fruit. The sweetness of the fruit can help curb your craving for that 2 day old donut setting on the table. Adding nuts, seeds and dried fruits can also keep you satisfied throughout the day while giving you the benefit of fiber and nutrients.
  • If you can’t completely go cold turkey on the sweet stuff, give in a little and enjoy a smaller equivalent. The smaller item will still allow you to enjoy what you want but without all the calories or extra sugar of the larger item.
  • Plan ahead. By planning your meals and snacks you have a greater chance of success in reducing the overall amount of sugar in your diet.
  • Drink water instead of fruit juice or soda pop. Most people do not get enough water throughout the day anyway. Water has numerous benefits including assisting with matabolism, regulating body temperature, detoxifying the body, and more. Fruit juices and soda pop have incredible amounts of sugar in them. For example 1 can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar (1 gram shy of the daily recommended amount). A 20oz bottle contains 65 grams and a 2 liter bottle contains 108 grams of sugar (nearly 3 days worth).
  • Limit or skip artificial sweeteners. Your results may vary but when I was drinking diet soda I still had cravings for high sugary snacks. As soon as I stopped drinking them my cravings for those foods diminished.
  • Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Excessive alcohol consumption can decrease the overall effectiveness that insulin has in moving sugar out of the blood stream. The resulting effect on the body is a high blood sugar level.
  • Exercise, read a book, volunteer. I was a stress eater. M&Ms were my poison. It wasn’t until I started exercising that my stress levels went down and I was able to stop the endless snacking. If you are an emotional eater get up and move around. Exercise is good for you – or so they say3. Read a good book (we have a few) to take your mind off of what might be causing you stress. Volunteering can be rewarding and has the added benefit of keeping you from that bag of chocolate you have hidden in the cupboard.

It is important that you check with your physician before making changes to your diet or exercise routines. These tips along with using common sense when you eat and drink can help ease the destructive nature sugar has on your system, and your waistline. If you have issues with sweets (like I do) let me know what your favorite is and what you do to manage your cravings.

Health Neighborhood Selections

The sugar addict’s total recovery program by Kathleen DesMaisons

 

Diabetes A to Z : what you need to know about diabetes, simply put American Diabetes Association

From the Children’s Nonfiction Section

Exercising for Good Health by Shirley W. Gray

 


References

1. United States Department of Agriculture. “Profiling Food Consumption in America.” 2002.

2. Health & Wellness Resource Center. “Glycemic index foods at breakfast can control blood sugar throughout the day.” NewsRx Health & Science.  April 22, 2012 p134.

3. Health & Wellness Resource Center. “Exercise and weight control.RelayClinical Education. February 2012.

 

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A healthy perspective – Running https://tscpl.org/health/running https://tscpl.org/health/running#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:01:33 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=28674 Join Michael as he shares his personal journey through health and wellness. In this post learn a little about his experience with running and how to get started yourself.

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A healthy perspective - Running

I am not a runner but in 1982 I tried running the mile in track. I was in Junior High and I finished last in most races. By the time I finished the race most of the runners had already showered and were on their way home.  I think my best time back then was 12 or 13 minutes (yes you can almost walk it faster). I think I hold the record in Kansas for the worst recorded time in competition. No joke. The current men’s record holder in the mile is Hicham El Guerrouj with a time of 3:43.13 minutes. Impressive.

When I was running track back then I thought the mile was an extremely long distance and very boring. Fast forward 26 years and my opinion has changed quite a bit. I am still not a good runner, but I really enjoy getting out and pounding the pavement. Am I older and wiser?… maybe. Lost some brain cells in the past 30 years?… more likely. After my heart attack in 2008 I began to run again at the YMCA. I started running/walking on the treadmill and started to push myself to go longer and faster. At that time I was still concerned that I was going to have another heart attack so I wore a heart rate monitor to track how I was doing. I remember the first time that I passed the mile mark jogging on the treadmill without stopping. I was absolutely thrilled with myself. I eventually made it to 2 miles, then 3, 4 and so on. I eventually quit the Y and started exercising at home. I began to run on the street which is an entirely new experience compared to the treadmill. I worked up slowly to longer distances, eventually eclipsing the 8 mile mark for a run. I have since run multiple 5Ks and one trail 5K, the Warrior Dash in Kansas City in 2011. I now average a 9 minute mile when I run. Not great but much better than what I ran in the 80’s.

What I like most about running is it gives me time to be with my thoughts. No interruptions. No mowing, dishes or laundry to do. They will be waiting for me when I get back. It’s just me, some tunes, fresh air, and the road beneath my feet. The other nice thing about running is that you don’t need a lot of equipment. Just a good pair of supportive shoes. If you want to begin running you should ease into it. By doing a blend of walking and jogging you can gradually prepare your body to handle the rigors of running longer distances. Make sure when you start out that you give yourself a chance to rest by not running every day. By giving your body time to recover you will be more successful in the long run (pun intended). Eventually you will be running 5Ks, 10Ks, marathons and ultra-marathons (50 miles or more). If you are a runner tell me below what you like most about it. We all have a story to share.

For more information about how to include running into your fitness plan check out some of these great books from the library:

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Running

 

 

 

Kara Goucher’s running for women : from first steps to marathons

 

 

 

Born to run : a hidden tribe, superathletes, and the greatest race the world has never seen

 

 

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A Healthy Perspective – Sodium https://tscpl.org/health/a-healthy-perspective-sodium https://tscpl.org/health/a-healthy-perspective-sodium#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:56:08 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=26341 Join Michael as he shares his personal journey through health and wellness. In this post learn how excess sodium in your diet can lead to health issues and what you can do to prevent them.

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Over the next several months I will try to tackle topics such as fat, sugar, cholesterol, and sodium in your diet. In this post I want to focus on sodium. First off let me say that sodium is vital to the proper function of the body.  Too much sodium, just like anything else in excess can lead to all sorts of health issues.

In my first post this year I discussed my weight issue, subsequent heart problems, and near death experience. But how did I get to that point in the first place? It was common for me to go out for lunch at McDonald’s (or you could insert any fast food restaurant here) at least 3 times a week. At the time I did not realize the damage I was doing to my body. My usual meal would be a double cheeseburger, large fry, and a medium coke. In researching the nutritional information of the meal I found that it has 1150 calories, 48 fat grams, and 1515 mg of sodium. Not only was I having almost all my calories and fat in one meal, I was taking in more sodium than my body needed. Unfortunately lunch was not as bad as what I chose to have for breakfast most days. Normally I would stop at Sonic and get a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese burrito. That bad boy was loaded with 430 calories, 25 fat grams, and 1550 mg of sodium. The two meals together, list out at 1580 calories, 73 fat grams, and a whopping 3065 mg of sodium. I am getting sick just thinking about it. I am guessing that by the time you throw in snacks throughout the day and supper at night, I was eating around 3000 calories a day and trying to process over 5000 mg of sodium. No wonder I was obese and not well…and it looks like I am not alone. My home town of Topeka just recently made #8 on the top 10 most obese metro areas (with percent of residents considered obese). This list is put together by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index1 and even though the stats are questionable in my mind, we as a community should be very concerned that we even made the list. People ask me all the time how I lost my weight, and it’s simple. I stopped eating fast food.

A shocking statistic that I found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website is that the average daily sodium intake for Americans age 2 years and older is 3, 436 mg. The USDA recommends 1,500 mg per day for people middle-aged and/or with risk factors and 2,300 mg for everyone else.2 It’s not surprising that as portion sizes have grown through the years, so has the intake of sodium. This increase, along with stress, not exercising regularly and not maintaining a healthy weight has lead to numerous health issues. One of the more prevalent issues is high blood pressure. If high blood pressure is left untreated it can lead to more serious issues such as heart attack and stroke. According to the American Heart Association 1 out of 3 Americans have high blood pressure and many of them are unaware that they have it.3

So what can you do to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet and reduce your risk of high blood pressure? Your best bet would be to look for food that is minimally processed. Fruits, vegetables, unsalted nuts, whole grains and non-canned beans would be great choices. Lean cuts of beef, poultry and fish are fine but check the packaging to be sure. Poultry (chicken and turkey) especially can be loaded with extra sodium. When out at restaurants ask your server for lower sodium options or if an item can be prepared without added salt. If you can’t avoid a trip through the fast food lane look for lower sodium items such as salads. Check out kid menu options, they are normally close to the actual recommended serving size for an adult so you can always go that route. Another thing you can do to help your body is to drink plenty of water.

Here are some cookbooks that are heart healthy. I am sure you will find recipes that have reduced sodium amounts and taste great:

American Heart Association healthy family meals : 150 recipes everyone will love

 

 

 

American Heart Association low-salt cookbook : a complete guide to reducing sodium and fat in your diet

 

 

 

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION QUICK & EASY COOKBOOK : More Than 200 Healthy Recipes You Can Make in Minutes

 

 

 


Vitals – America’s fattest — and skinniest — cities revealed article from MSNBC

2 Key Recommendations for Specific Population Groups

3 Understand Your Risk for High Blood Pressure

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A Healthy Perspective – The Social Side of Getting Fit https://tscpl.org/health/a-healthy-perspective-the-social-side-of-getting-fit Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:46:15 +0000 https://tscpl.org/?p=25438 Join Michael as he shares his personal journey through health and wellness. In this post learn how social networking can help you succeed in reaching your health and fitness goals.

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On January 2nd I started a new workout plan – Les Mills PUMP. I had been flip-flopping between Insanity and P90X for awhile and was getting a little bored with them. They are both great programs but I needed to make a new commitment to my health and I needed something different. I am now 45 days into PUMP, midway through the 90 day program and it has just flown by. During this time I have noticed several things.

First, I am stronger than I think I am both mentally and physically. I can push past myself when I need to. It is where real change happens.

Secondly and more importantly, I need others to help me succeed. I call them accountability partners. This could be a spouse, colleague, friend, acquaintance, or even a group on Facebook of more than 650 people (shout out to TEAM PUMP) I have never met. I was part of another group when I went through my first round of Insanity. The InsaneCrew (hashtag #insanecrew) was a group I connected with on Twitter. Just like TEAM PUMP they are like minded individuals located all around the United States and they have been there with me every step (jump, squat, pushup, etc.) of the way. Accountability partners can’t lift the weight for you, or do the cardio that you need, or even pick the foods that you eat. But they can be there to encourage you, answer questions that you have, share recipes, or give you a laugh when you need it.

Whether you need to lose 10 pounds or over 100, find someone or a group of people that will support you during this journey. At least for me, these two groups have helped me get in the best shape of my life. Who helps YOU be the best you can be? Let me know in the comments section below.

If you are not on Facebook and want to know how to connect to others take our Facebook for Beginners class. Call our trainers at 580-4606 or email class@tscpl.org to get more information. For other great ideas on making healthy changes in your life visit the health neighborhood.

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