There are two seasons that stand out above all in a public library: tax time and the month of January. Tax season is obvious. New Year’s resolution season is more complex.

Resolutions aren’t always about weight loss or quitting smoking. People are looking for information on living stress free, organizing garages or learning something new like a musical instrument or a foreign language.

Some of us want this information and we want it now, because by February we have abandoned our running regimen and shifted our attention to finding the instruction booklet for the 1099 form.

Last year, King County Library System focused on food and education with A Place At The Table. Programs and author visits covered everything from cooking, raising bees and chickens, couponing and beer brewing.

Programming for 2014 focuses on health and fitness with a program series called Start To Fitness. Programs range from Bollywood Dance, Scottish Country Dancing, talks on snowshoeing, hiking and curling as well as a large variety of bicycling topics presented by the Cascade Bicycle Club.

In addition to the workshops on fitness and exercise, there is a focus on healthy eating. Programs presented by nutrition educators cover different diets, and dietary strategies for immune systems and healthy hearts.

The Start To Fitness page also links to outside fitness challenges such as the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign.

Libraries are collecting healthy non-perishable foods for distribution to 45-area food banks. A complete list of programs and sponsors can be found at http://www.kcls.org/programs/fitness/. Get involved and track your progress. Together we can be a stronger and healthier community.

My own resolution is simple. I want to rely less on my husband for bicycle maintenance. Thankfully there is a workshop scheduled to teach me the basics. I hope to see you there.

Darcy Brixey is the teen services librarian with the King County Library. She’d like to tell you she loves to read, but it’s an expectation of the job.