The Rock Island Public Library is hosting a series of free events focusing on mental health and mental wellness programming.
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Rock Island Public Library will host Quad City Visiting Artist Robin Spielberg with a presentation on Music and Mental Health.
Ms. Spielberg, a national speaker who focuses on the connection between music and healing, speaks at 6 p.m. at the Rock Island Public Library Watts-Midtown Branch, 2715 30th St.
During this 50-minute program, Ms. Spielberg explains the science of music and the brain, and provides strategies for using music to reduce stress and anxiety. Scientific data supports that music has an impact on health: it can elevate mood, improve focus, sleep and enhance both physical and mental health.
She is a pianist, composer, and recording artist, is also a celebrity spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association, and a founding member of the Mindful Music Association. According to the artist’s website, her interest in the connection between music and healing became personal when her premature baby spent four months in neonatal intensive care.
Her release “Beautiful Dreamer,” a recording of lullabies and songs on solo piano for parent and child, was the result. Ms. Spielberg’s work with music and wellness has been covered by The New York Times and in segments on LifeTime Live and ABC News. Her popular TEDx TALK has had over 400,000 views, and has resulted in lectures and workshops nation-wide.
According to Mental Health America, about 24% of all U.S. adults experienced some form of mental illness in 2023. Learn how to best support a loved one living with a mental health condition at the NAMI Family & Friends Seminar.
Offered Wednesday, Nov. 13, at the Watts-Midtown Branch, the 6 p.m. seminar offers a non-judgmental space for discussing mental health. At the 90-minute program, certified National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) family educators will offer practical skills and information on:
- Effective communication strategies,
- The importance of self-care,
- Crisis preparation strategies, and
- NAMI and community resources.
Registration is appreciated, but not required. To sign up, visit the library’s online calendar or call (309) 732-7341. The seminar is open to teens and adults, and all participants receive a companion ebook by email afterwards. It provides important information about mental health conditions, warning signs and diagnoses, treatment and recovery, crisis planning, and other resources.
On Saturday, Nov. 16, the library’s Death Café group meets at 11 a.m. in the conference room of the Rock Island Watts-Midtown Branch. Facilitated by Jackie Hauer of Sacred Mournings, the open group meets monthly to discuss anything related to life and death. It fosters open, non-judgmental, and honest conversations. New participants can just drop in to any discussion.
“Memory Health: Even Elephants Forget Sometimes “wraps up the month from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th St. Frequent library speaker Dr. Cathy Rosenbaum, a holistic clinical pharmacist, will review causes of memory loss, discuss medications that may contribute to the condition, and review the pros and cons of various strategies aimed at improving cognition.
All events are free and open to the public. Library health and mental wellness programming continues in December, with Journaling for Mental Health and Motivational Flip Calendar events. The programs are offered as part of the library’s ongoing mental health awareness project, which includes new Comfort Carts and Mental Health resource cards. For future programs, check the library website, or pick up information at any Rock Island Library.
For additional information, please visit the Rock Island Public Library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, or call 309-732-READ.
