Author Archives: Diane Osborne

National Indoor Plant Week

What is National Indoor Plant Week? It’s a Celebration!!!
National Indoor Plant Week is the third full week of September and was established to increase public awareness of the importance of indoor plants and their many attributes. Only some of which include cleaning the air we breathe. Statistics have proven that indoor plants increase morale in the workplace and homes. The plant is such a miraculous living thing.

Real life office studies have been conducted to measure the direct relationship between clinical health, complaints and plant installations. Recorded health improvements in offices where interior plants were added were significant. Results show a large reduction among employees in the areas of fatigue, headache, coughs and their overall well-being rose dramatically.

Further, numerous studies have shown that plants have a positive psychological impact on people. According to a recent study, employees exposed to interior plant settings demonstrated better attitudes, positive emotions such as happiness, friendliness and assertiveness.

When you add plants to your indoor environment, you:

  • Improve air quality
  • Reduce noise and distractions
  • Decrease stress
  • Increase productivity
  • Increase creativity
  • Increase humidity, which may reduce aerosol transmission
  • And they are just plain pretty to look at!

Anyone can participate in this holiday. Do your part with something as simple as giving an indoor plant to a friend. Check out the blog post about the different meanings of certain plants and flowers. This way you can make sure you’re delivering the right message to the right person before you give that gift.

Research Trend: The Healing Power of Plants

Houseplant sales have been skyrocketing, even before Covid hit the U.S., according to research from the National Gardening Association.

While we all learn in high school biology that plants produce oxygen, the theory that plants contribute to wellness is a relatively new area of research.

Dr. Lauriane Chalmin-Pui is a UK-based Postdoctoral Fellow conducting research around plants and wellbeing. Last year, she authored an article for the World Economic Forum and & here are key points she cites:

  • Just being in the presence of indoor plants can improve mental and physical health, according to a recent review of 42 studies.
  • Houseplants improve air quality, which can benefit our cognitive performance – something that is especially important for people who are inside all day.

The Freeman/Lozier Library has many resources about indoor plants that you can check out here.

Sources:

https://nationalindoorplantweek.com/about.php

https://www.goodearthplants.com/time-to-celebrate-its-national-indoor-plant-week/

https://www.goodearthplants.com/2023-plant-trends/

Sage Knowledge Leadership Collection

Sage Knowledge Leadership Collection database brings teaching, learning, and research to life through editorially selected collections around leadership. These videos were developed in partnership with leading content providers, academics, and practitioners, including Sage’s own authors and editors. High-quality videos have been carefully created to deliver on the essential goals of courses at all levels of higher education. They are designed to support the instructor, student, and academic researcher through a combination of originally authorized and produced material with licensed and co-produced content.

There are several ways you can search for videos in this database. Browse by disciplines or by collections though Business Cases or Videos. Business Cases allows you to browse by: Discipline, Sage Originals, Enhanced Cases, Region, or Content Partners such as the Yale School of Management and Planet Money from NPR.

There are many benefits found in using the SAGE Knowledge Leadership Collection database. Exclusive scenario-based case studies show how leaders apply principles to real-life challenges. You can also access clips from leading experts, how-to guides, conference presentation excerpts, tutorials, interviews, and more to expand on what you are learning in the classroom. Another benefit is that transcripts of the videos can be downloaded as a PDF, cited, shared, embedded, or you can get a permalink to the video page directly. You can also add videos to a list of your favorite videos to find them easier. You can even create video clips and save them to be used later. Lastly, you can cite scholarly videos as references in research projects, papers, and presentations.

The Sage Knowledge Leadership Collection database can be accessed from the Databases landing page under “S.” The page can be found on the Library’s homepage under the Find drop down menu or on the “Databases” tab on the Discovery Search page.

Originally posted in the Freeman/Lozier Library’s quarterly newsletter, More Than BooksV. 26 No. 4, Fall 2023.

National Simplify Your Life Week

National Simplify Your Life Week is observed yearly during the first week of August. This year it takes place from August 7 to 13. Though its origins are unknown, it is abundantly clear that the week is for decluttering and simplifying one’s life, which involves getting rid of physical and psychological clutter that may hinder one from living a peaceful and stress-free life. Use the next seven days to get rid of things that cause you stress and anxiety.

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National Ice Cream Day

National Ice Cream Day is celebrated the third Sunday of July, the 16th this year, in the United States. It is a time of the year when millions of people all across the country can enjoy one of the most traditional American desserts of all time. This day, as well as National Ice Cream Month, was established by presidential proclamation in July of 1984 and continues to be the favorite holiday of children of all ages.

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National Rebuild Your Life Month

Are you happy with your life as it is right now? Have you thought about taking a class? learning a new skill? changing your career? Rebuild Your Life Month is observed each year in June and it allows people to take a moment to reflect on the way they’re living their lives. It is never too late to start living the life you have always wanted to. This could mean changing careers, taking a sabbatical, changing your education path, etc. As long as you believe in your dreams and follow what makes you happy, you can rebuild your life. Rebuild Your Life Month is the perfect way to start doing just that if you’ve been putting your life plans on the back-burner.

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What is Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is one of those holidays that many Americans don’t know the significance about how it came about. They just know it is the last Monday in May that they get off of work and that it signals the start of the summer season.  It means so much more than that.

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Natural Solutions Journal

In this ever-changing world, here is a journal that is full of tools that can help you be in charge of your well-being. Natural Solutions works with the top health writers in the country to develop research-backed content that emphasizes practical solutions and gives readers the information they need to better care for themselves and the planet. Natural Solutions has been the most reliable voice in natural health since 1994. Bellevue University Library has access to December 2010 to the present and it is published by InnoVision Health Media Inc.

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Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. An autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop. We still have much to learn about these causes and how they impact people with ASD.

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Nebraska’s Riches

On March 1, 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state admitted to the Union. ‘Nebraska” is derived from the old ‘Otoe’ words ‘Ni Brasge’ or the Omaha words ‘Ni Bthaska,’ which means flat water. It makes a reference to the Platte River that flows through the state. I was born and raised in this wonderful state. So, to celebrate Nebraska’s 156th birthday, I want to share my pride in Nebraska by talking about 20 items that you may not have known come from Nebraska.

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