UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Today’s college students juggle a dizzying array of stressors, from coursework and adjusting to campus life to rising mental health issues and financial insecurity.
Penn State University Libraries’ LibWell group supports the activities, resources, spaces and services necessary to advance students' well-being and sense of belonging within the University Libraries so they can best meet their academic achievement and life goals. A dedicated Student Wellness Fund supports LibWell programming.
“University Libraries has always been about student academic success, and we've worked hard to ensure students have access to the information, scholarly resources and skills they need as information creators and consumers,” said Rebecca Miller Waltz, associate dean for learning and engagement at Penn State University Libraries.
Recognizing an opportunity to create and make accessible outward-facing information resources that promote lifelong wellness behaviors, LibWell and the University Libraries established a two-pronged plan. Its aim is to expand existing wellness resources Libraries-wide and create new campaigns encompassing the National Wellness Institute’s six key dimensions of wellness: physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, emotional and occupational.
Students can currently utilize Libraries programs made available using funds provided by the Student Wellness Fund and LibWell. For instance, De-Stress Fest offers relaxation for studying students during finals week, and Open Educational Resources and Affordable Educational Resources provide students with low- or no-cost access to learning materials. Wellness LibGuides provide information, and dedicated relaxation and sensory-inspired spaces, such as the Relaxation Station at the Penn State Beaver Campus Library, provide respite.
Still in its introductory year, LibWell also has helped fund and pilot a Sensory Room at the Penn State Berks Thun Library and at Pattee Library’s Collaboration Commons on the University Park campus. Sensory rooms offer dedicated space to help meet various sensory needs for neurodiverse students and can be reserved online. The spaces include items such as noise-reducing egg chairs, buddha boards, yoga mats and supplies, sound mixers, weighted lap blankets and an assortment of fidget items. Both campuses are concurrently piloting sensory kits — backpacks containing many of the supplies offered in sensory rooms — available for checkout by students who wish to experience the benefits of sensory rooms at home.
At University Park’s Pattee Library and Paterno Library, the LibWell group recently implemented a digital campaign that rotates student-focused wellness objectives on digital screens throughout the library. Students also can find programming such as “White Board Wednesdays” with questions to engage students and passersby, and “Take-a-break Tuesdays” that encourage students to relax at pop-up locations with provided coloring pages, puzzles and games.
The LibWell group’s purpose is to help create the most supportive and inclusive student communities possible. Future LibWell goals include developing additional sensory spaces and kits, collaborating to provide food resources to students dealing with food insecurity, coordinated programming emphasizing mental and physical health, and expansion of De-Stress Fest to additional campuses.
“The LibWell initiative emphasizes our need to care for the whole student and we’re excited about new ways the Libraries is collaborating with campus and community partners and leading efforts to prioritize the health and well-being of our students,” said Waltz.
Please direct questions for the LibWell group, including programming information and accommodations inquiries, to libwell@pennstateoffice365.onmicrosoft.com.
For questions about the University Libraries Student Wellness Fund, contact Gretchen Little, assistant director of Alumni and Donor Relations, Penn State University Libraries, at grl5147@psu.edu.