University Libraries

By Diane Osman and Lauren Lindgren '21

It’s almost time for finals, and whether you’re on campus or studying from afar, Roesch Library is here for you! From yoga stretches and browsing museums all over the world to taking a virtual drive down a city street far away to tunes from that location’s local radio station, we found some fun ways to take a break! Enjoy this collection of stress-busting ideas compiled by the University Libraries. 

Free streaming

Films on Demand through Infobase offers thousands of streaming videos in a broad range of subjects — and even feature films. Here are some recommendations from our student employees:

• TED Talk by Margaret Heffernan: “Dare to Disagree”
• Women’s Liberation in the 20th Century (Producer: Balanga)
• Beyond Meat (CNN)
• Adult Under Construction (Off the Fence)
• Digital Addiction (ABC News)
• Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric
  

Feature Films for Education offers hundreds of full-length feature films to stream. Here are some recommendations from our student employees:

• The Greatest Showman
• The Sound of Music
• Journey to the Center of the Earth
• The Fault in our Stars
• Castaway
• Miracle on 34th Street
• Titanic
• The Call of the Wild (2020)
• Jane (2017)
• He Named Me Malala
  

Museums 

Enjoy a virtual tour of some of the world’s most renowned museums

• The Louvre
• National Gallery of Art
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Korea) 
• Van Gogh Museum
• Museum of Anthropology

Virtual Tours

• Ellis Island
• England
• Yellowstone National Park
• More National Parks: Hawaii Volcanoes, Bryce Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Dry Tortugas, Kenai Fjords
• Rover on Mars

Background music

• Lofi Girl’s “lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to” (YouTube)
• Yellow Brick Cinema’s relaxing guitar music (YouTube)
• Drive and Listen: Choose a city and listen to the local radio station while virtually driving. Highlights: Chicago, Paris, Berlin.

Coloring

• A curated list of coloring books available free through Flipster (the Libraries' subscription magazine app)
• Fun and games from the Marian Library Collections, including a popular matching game with flowers named for Mary
• UD coloring pages
• Coloring Pages: Marian Library 2018
• Coloring Pages: Marian Library 2017
• Coloring Pages: Fatima
• Coloring Page: 1950 Comic Book Cover
• No-crayon option: Online coloring pages

Other crafts

• Virtual Etch-a-Sketch
• Virtual Lite-Brite
• Free Cooking Classes

Animal therapy

• Smithsonian’s National Zoo webcams
• San Diego Zoo webcams 
• Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Home Safari Resources 
• Tropical Reef Camera powered by explore.org
• Monterey Bay Aquarium webcam
• Kitten Rescue, Los Angeles (plus assorted other explore.org webcams)
• Find the Invisible Cow 

See photos from some previous therapy pet visitors in the gallery below. Special thanks to Larry Burgess, Lora Melin of Maggie’s Minis, and Brenda Metcalf.

Mindfulness

• 5-minute meditation (YouTube) 
• Calming meditation (YouTube)
• Sound Healing with Crystal Bowls
• Do Nothing for 2 Minutes

Yoga and stretching

• Yoga at your Desk (YouTube)
• Destress Monday Chair Yoga (YouTube)
• Stretch Breaks at Your Desk (YouTube)
• Quick and Easy Stretches To Do While Sitting at Your Desk (YouTube) 

We wish you the best of luck on finals … and have a great summer!

— Diane Osman, University Libraries and Lauren Lindgren ’21