Originally published in the Chillicothe Gazette on Jan. 11, 2026

According to the internet, most New Year’s resolutions are pretty similar. We want to get healthy, reduce stress, learn new things, spend more time with loved ones, and read books! We can definitely help with that last one, but we have resources for everything else on this list as well.

Getting healthy can be rough, but the hardest part really is getting started. Hoopla understands that I am much more likely to workout in my living room than go to the actual gym. Thankfully, they’re offering the Get Healthy Binge Pass. Video workouts including strength, cardio, kickboxing, barre, bodyweight, low impact, yoga, and more. Absolute beginner? Me too! Every fitness level will find something to get their heart pumping.

Reducing stress is possibly the hardest one on this list. Sometimes circumstances are at such a frenzied pace you barely have time to breathe. Fortunately, there are proven health benefits to simply breathing. Most people think meditation is shutting off your thoughts. But it’s actually giving them permission to ping-pong around without intervention. Like clouds in the sky, you let them pass without focusing on a single one. The healing effects are amazing when we take the time to listen to ourselves. Interested in reaping the benefits of this age-old practice? Find your Zen at Intro to Meditation from 5:30 to 7 p..m. Feb. 5 at the Northside Branch.

Learning something new is a fun resolution but can quickly become something else to add to the “to do” list. That means the easier the learning, the better. What’s easier than learning a new language right on your phone? Mango Languages makes learning a language easy, accessible, and fun. See for yourself at www.crcpl.org/elibrary and click on the Language Learning tab to get started. If you’re interested in finding a new hobby, Creativebug is a great place to start with simple DIY arts and crafts, too.

Spending time with loved ones is easy enough, but it can be hard to find something appealing for everyone. That’s why we offer a variety of programing here at the library. Build a fort at our Family Fort Party, join our Jigsaw Puzzle Competition, or party in honor of the Queen of Country at our Dolly Day Celebration! Want to stay home instead? Super-charge game night by checking out something cool from our Beyond Books Collection. Giant versions of classics like Connect Four and tabletop RPGs like Pathfinder are just the beginning.

And finally, to those vowing to read more books in 2026, we say: yessssssss! We have hardback, paperback, audio, and ebooks. What we don’t have on our physical shelves, we will do our best to find for you. We trade with over 100 libraries in Ohio, meaning your library is 100 times larger than it seems! We’ll even borrow outside our lending network if necessary. That’s how much we want you to read what you like. And if you don’t know what you like, we can help with that too.

Stop by any of our seven locations, visit us online at www.crcpl.org, or call us at 740-702-4145 to get started. Keep every resolution on your list is as easy as scanning your card.

Sheena Brown is an Enrichment, Communications, and Marketing Clerk at the Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library.