PIQUA — Starting in August, patrons of the Piqua Public Library can expect to see a focus on healthy living in conjunction with National Wellness Month.

“We decided to do a series of displays and talks about wellness. That can be health, financial, mental, and anything that makes one feel better,” Piqua Public Library information and reference coordinator John Piatt said.

While the programming schedule is still being finalized, Piatt said that two mental health companies will be present throughout the month, as well as Mutual Federal to help patrons identify financial risks and give them the skills on preventing finance-related distress. Piatt is currently trying to get Kettering and Premier Health involved, as well as get people who can give talks on Alzheimer’s and autism involved with the monthly programming. A final schedule is still pending, but programs are expected to be offered multiple times throughout the month and throughout all hours of the day, so patrons will be able to attend regardless of what their schedule is like.

“If someone can’t make it for a talk, there will be a display, so patrons can grab a brochure and get information that way. All the talks are geared in a way so that people will be able to ask questions personally after the talks, as well,” Piatt said.

The focus on different types of wellness are all connected, according to Piatt, and unwellness in one aspect of life can create unwellness in others.

“To me, it just goes hand-in-hand. Financial wellness, or unwellness, can make you unhappy. If you’re a person who has a lot of financial bad breaks, that goes against your physical nature. Some people take it internally, and they become sick because of it,” Piatt said.

Other themes from the series of wellness talks and displays that patrons can expect to see are “Happiness Happens,” which Piatt says is the result of being in good physical, mental, and financial health.

“I hope that it gives (patrons) a good feeling about the library and what we have to offer, but I also hope that, if somebody is out there and they’re experiencing problems, if this can help them, that’s one hundred percent the top result that I would want, is to know that somebody got some answers,” Piatt said.

The programming centered around wellness comes as Ohio is transitioning back to “normal” after over a year of shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local libraries included. The Piqua Public Library began offering in-person events and programs to patrons once more this past May, which have seen tremendous response from patrons. Having in-person programming again is great, Piatt says, because it gives librarians a job to do.

“Part of being a librarian is to pass on information, education, and just general good feeling to people. We try to make this a family-oriented type library. We try to give world-class service here, to make feel people good about coming in and getting the answers they need to get,” Piatt said.

For more information, visit the library’s website at piqualibrary.org or contact the library at 937-773-6753.