Has the recent time change made it difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep or to concentrate? Do you find yourself feeling down as the days get shorter and darker? Or maybe you just wish you had access to natural light while studying?
If any of these describe you, the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries are here to help. Each library has at least one light therapy lamp available for checkout at the service desk. Light therapy lamps, which mimic sunlight, have been shown to improve one’s mood and energy levels with regular exposure. Light therapy may also help alleviate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that appears during the colder months when there are less hours of sunlight.
To check the current availability of lamps, visit the library catalog. When using, please follow the included safety instructions and do not look directly into the light. As a reminder that too much of a good thing can be harmful, checkouts are limited to two hours with one renewal.
Light therapy lamps are brought to you by the Vanderbilt Libraries IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) Committee. This committee works behind the scenes to help the libraries provide equal access to services and collections for all patrons. To learn more about the libraries’ accessibility services, please visit our website.