University libraries can't be all work, all the time. In fact, when I entered the University of Tennessee's Hodges Library, one of the first things I saw was a poster advertising a monthly game night in the library. This program, which started in spring 2019, has become hugely popular, with some nights attracting more than 100 students.
Karaoke Study Break was held the second to last week of our fall term. The last two weeks of term is often a time when students feel heightened stress, as exams, projects, research papers and deadlines loom on the horizon. Karaoke Study Break, an hour of turning our library Reading Room into a Karaoke party, was created as an outlet for stress relief.
De-Stress with Doggos is based on the idea that adults would benefit just as much, if not more, from therapy dog sessions as children do. This event included pizza, crafts and games, as well as therapy dogs.
Beginning in the early 1970s, colleges and universities across the U.S. (and beyond!) started developing campus wellness offices and initiatives. Today, these units have become nearly ubiquitous.
In early December, the University Library at Sonoma State (SSU) collaborated with the student-run SSU Tea Club to help students de-stress as they headed into the most stressful time of the semester.
Offered during Sonoma State's so-called "Dead Week," the week before finals, the Pop-Up Tea Library comforted library visitors with free steaming mugs of tea, Monday through Friday, from 6 to 9 p.m.
We have been hosting Fridays before Finals since October 2014. This program is held twice a semester: the Friday before midterms and the Friday before finals.
Normally our library closes at 5 p.m. on Fridays. On these occasions, we stay open until midnight and the library hosts quiet study upstairs and pizza and games downstairs.
Finals week: Could it BE any more stressful? Inevitably, final exams bring more students to the library along with heightened stress levels. Every semester, Roesch Library at University of Dayton hosts numerous stress-relief services and activities to help students succeed. To make the time more bearable, Roesch Library’s marketing and outreach team decides upon a theme to promote finals week services.
This program was held during finals week of the fall 2015 semester. We offered a variety of options for students to take a break from studying and "stress less." Some specific options were coloring, therapy dogs, board games, free coffee and snacks in the evening hours, and making stress balls. We partnered with several groups on campus (Wellness Peer Educators, Residence Hall Association and Veterinary Science majors) to offer a wide range of programming.
