According to Grand County Library District’s (GCLD) online resource, Britannica Library Reference Center, “the earliest known record of a New Year festival dates from 2000 BC in Mesopotamia.”

I wonder if the highly developed Mesopotamian states, where some of the first libraries were built and where both men and women learned to read and write, shared their New Year’s resolutions as we do.

Did they dream of travel? Yearn for cultivating better barley for a more perfect beer? (Mesopotamians are acknowledged as being the inventors of beer around 4,000 BCE.) Did they set goals for furthering their studies in medicine, technology, astronomy, philosophy and religion? Did they set a number for how many books to read? How many songs to write? Did they go to sleep planning more leisure time for arts, crafts and inventing? Did they lament wanting to look better in their clothing?

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Fast forward at least 2,000 years. We have ventured into space, can video chat live half way around the world, and live decades longer. But have our New Year’s resolutions changed much?

For those who want to look better in their jeans, many doctors and nutritionists are recommending a Mediterranean lifestyle. Drum roll, the eastern Mediterranean region was part of ancient Mesopotamia.

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These recommendations correlate with Dan Buettner’s years of research. This National Geographic Fellow, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Blue Zones, has shared his findings of where people live not only the longest, but also the healthiest and happiest. Sounds like a great New Year’s resolution.

So, whether your 2022 goal is to travel, learn, lose weight, create a community for those who want to live longer and healthier, make beer, write songs or stories, learn an instrument, have fun with others, make the most of your leisure time, or just about anything else, then think like an ancient Mesopotamian and make sure you have a library card. Specifically, a GCLD library card!

Some new resources to check out for possible 2022 New Year’s resolutions:

• “The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer, Better Life” by Dan Buettner

• “Armchair Explorer” by Anita Isalska

• “Wholehearted Faith” by Rachel Held Evens

• “The Beatles: Get Back” edited by John Harris

• The Genius Square (game) by Salim Berghiche

• Laser Tag Kit (for 2-4 players)

• Beers of the World, (and 19 other eVideos on beer) published by The Great Courses, stream from online resource Kanopy

• “Powder Days” by Heather Hansman

• “Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide” by Cecily Wong

• “Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience” by Brene Brown

• “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times” by Jane Goodall

• Karaoke Machine and/or musical instruments from GCLD’s Library of Things

• Experience Italy Kit: Immerse yourself in Italian culture with books, maps, CDs, DVDs!

• Reminiscence Activities and Kits to spark memories and engage anyone with memory-related issues

• Snowshoes – available in various sizes at each library

And sign up for GCLD programs, including the Winter Reading Adventure, astronomy club, ukulele lessons, makerspace clubs, virtual reality sessions, lego club, armchair travel events, Great Decisions by the Foreign Policy Association, craft programs and more.

Visit any of GCLD’s five libraries, the District Office, or http://www.gcld.org, and let us help you with your New Year’s resolutions!