(Radio Iowa) – The cold weather keeps many Iowans indoors during the winter, which can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, and a library in northwest Iowa is taking a direct approach to helping perk people up who have the winter blues. Shirley Taylor, director of the Le Mars Public Library, says they’re offering three high-intensity light therapy lamps for patrons to check out for up to three weeks at a time, and she’s hoping other Iowa libraries will follow suit. “We never know if it’s going to be a snowy winter or dry winter, cold or mild, but we do know that it’s dark,” Taylor says, laughing. “The U.S. Navy astronomical charts do show us that on January 1st, we have 9 hours of daylight here in Le Mars, and on July 1st, we have 15 hours of daylight, so that’s a pretty big difference and that can affect people’s moods.”

In addition to the lights that are available for checkout, Taylor says a fourth lamp has been installed in the library’s reading room.”We have a lot of people who come in and read newspapers and magazines here, so that’s the area where we have one that’s just set up,” Taylor says. “At any time, if people want to come in and while they’re reading newspapers, magazines — or they can even just be scrolling on Instagram — they can sit in front of one of the light therapy boxes and see if that will help them.” In light therapy, patients generally sit in front of a light box every morning for 30 minutes or more, depending on the doctor’s recommendation.

Studies show light therapy can relieve SAD symptoms in as much as 70% of patients after a few weeks of treatment. The lamps are being offered as part of the library’s Beat the Blues Challenge, and each week there’s a new theme. “This week’s challenge is journaling,” Taylor says. “Research shows that sometimes it’s just sitting down and thinking about the good things that go on in your life can really help lift your mood, to some extent.”

Studies find between 35- and 50-million Americans suffer from SAD, and those who were susceptible to it one winter are likely to see it return. In addition to the mood swings, symptoms may include trouble concentrating, and difficulty falling or staying asleep. Some people can overcome SAD by engaging in physical activity, while others may benefit from practices like yoga, meditation, tai chi, and deep breathing exercises.