It has been rightly said, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
Since we were young, our parents have encouraged us to read more and more books. It is because reading is scientifically proven to affect our lives positively. It strengthens our brain, builds our vocabulary, reduces stress, and aids sleep. Here we are providing you with free mental health books by mail which will help in your overall development.
People with mental illnesses have always found themselves estranged and isolated from others. For such people, reading is very effective in finding a connection with themselves, alleviating the symptoms of depression, and practicing mindfulness.
How can reading affect your life?
-It reduces stress and anxiety levels drastically, and you forget about your troubles momentarily. It allows you to re-think them with a fresh perspective.
-It speeds up your neural activities, improves stimulation, and prevents the possibility of mental diseases like Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
-It increases your thinking skills, allows your brain to develop, and enhances your cognitive performance.
-It allows you to practice mindfulness by letting go of all your anxious thoughts, and you are entirely anchored at the moment.
-It helps to lower blood pressure, and provides a sense of inner peace, calmness, and tranquillity.
Many libraries in the United States provide free mental health books mailed to your doorstep!
That’s right! We have curated a list of such libraries which offer books by mail. Continue reading to learn more about this service and how you can be a part!
Books by mail- What does that mean?
There are times when people cannot go and purchase books from the regular stores or visit a library to get the books they want.
In such conditions, many libraries in the United States offer a service where they deliver the books you choose at your doorstep if you are eligible to avail of this service.
If you or anybody who you know needs free mental health books, they can go online to avail and register for this free service offered by the libraries below:
5 libraries in the US that offer free mental health books by mail-
Some libraries which offer free mental health books by mail are as follows:
1. NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY–
This library was founded in 1895. It is located in 92 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. They have a collection of about 10500 free mental health books in their catalog.
Eligibility: The library system offers free books by mail service to the public subject to the following conditions:
-There is no age limit for people who want to use this service.
-Only homebound individuals can get these books delivered due to some permanent or temporary disability.
-Their application must be filled out and duly signed by a physician, nurse or social worker, stating clearly that the individual is disabled and cannot leave their home.
Procedure: If you want to register for this service, make sure to follow these steps:
-Fill out their application form and enter your reading interests. Various sections must be filled out:
- Age category
- Format preferences and
- Language preferences.
-If you check “please select items for me,” you will have to indicate your areas of interest under fiction and nonfiction. Fill out all the questions about the kind of materials you want the library to provide you.
-If you check “please do not select items for me,” only the books which you have mainly selected will be sent to you.
Once your registration is complete, you’ll receive your books by mail delivery along with a welcome letter that explains how the service works and contact information for when you have questions. For more information, you can call (917-275-6975).
2. PALM BEACH COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM–
The Palm Beach County Library System was founded in 1967. Its headquarters are located on the west coast, and it has 17 branches across Florida. This library system provides a free books-by-mail service for its residents, including 1100 free mental health books.
Eligibility: Only those unable to visit the library due to their disabilities like physical disability, terminal illness, and lack of transportation can register in books by mail and receive this service.
Procedure: Readers can call 561-649-5482 (West Palm Beach area) or 1-888-780-5151 (South County and Glades area) to request the application form or fill it out online. A list of the newly released titles is provided to them twice a month; they can order any titles of their choice by telephone or through their website, and the books are delivered to them through the US Postal Service.
3. NASHUA PUBLIC LIBRARY–
It is located in Nashua, New Hampshire, the Nashua Public Library was established in 1867, and it offers many services like a reference department for its cardholders to facilitate academic research, downloadable audiobooks and ebooks, a Chandler Memorial Wing, and over 1400 free mental health books for the people of Nashua.
Eligibility: The free of cost books-by-mail service is available to any resident of Nashua who:
-Requires large print books/audiobooks due to visual imparities
-Is homebound due to some severe ailment
-Gets their application signed by a doctor or nurse stating the disability
Procedure: To participate in the program, you have to fill out the application available on their website (or call 603-589-4627 to get a hardcopy of the form delivered to you), with your preferences and desired genres. After you fill out the application, more information will be provided to you by the library staff. After completing the formalities, you can deliver the books, magazines, or CDs.
4. LEE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM–
The Lee County library was established in 1964, and it currently has 13 branches all over the county in Florida. It has over 1.5 million reading materials, including CDs, DVDs, streaming facilities for movies, and 700 free mental health books available by mail service. Their books-by-mail service is open from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays.
Eligibility: The library supplies reading materials and DVDs to people suffering from a long or short-term disability who cannot visit the library. Caregivers are also eligible to enroll in this program.
Procedure: To register, you need to fill out their application form. There are 3 different forms available on their website: adults, children and teens, and people who need large prints. On successful completion of the application, the requested books, CDs, or DVDs are mailed in zippered nylon bags. For more information, you can call 239-533-4444.
5. ENOCH PRATT FREE LIBRARY–
This library was established in 1886 in Baltimore, Maryland’s free public library system. It has 22 branches operating throughout Maryland, including Brooklyn Canton, Orleans Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington Village, and Waverly. They remain open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
They have a vast collection of over 4900 free mental health books available for borrowing. It should be noted that the Marina Interlibrary Loan materials are not available for the books-by-mail service.
Eligibility: Originally, the books-by-mail service was limited to only homebound citizens, but they have started offering this service to all the citizens of Baltimore since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Procedure: You can register for this service by calling (410) 396-5430 and requesting this service. The requested materials are shipped to your location free of cost, but you will have to pay the postage charge for returning the materials after you are done.
Conclusion-
Because of the vision of these public libraries to provide free and uninterrupted learning to the people of the US, you can get access to so many books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, etc., and continue to gain knowledge. Register yourself and get them delivered to your homes if you cannot visit the library!
Make sure to follow the covid protocols, wear a mask before you accept delivery, or drop off the material back.
We hope this blog post was helpful to you. If you have any other queries, drop them in the comment box!
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