While libraries are traditionally academic hubs, they are also potential open spaces for student engagement and socialization. Post-pandemic, students spend less time on campus and even when on campus, they prefer solitude over peer-to-peer interaction. In an era of significant budget cuts and rising commuter student populations, college libraries face a unique challenge: how do we continue to serve our communities in new and impactful ways? A team of subject-liaison librarians from public service units sought to bridge this service gap and created events in support of student community engagement. With no prior history of student programming and no dedicated budget, the librarians launched a semester-long series of social events with a focus on building community and fostering connection.

These events included trivia nights, scavenger hunts, game nights, and finals week: study breaks. We will share takeaways on securing funding, leveraging our existing resources, addressing unexpected and continuing challenges, and documenting the impact of the events based on our experiences at a public R1 university with a large commuter population. 

Presenters: 

Courtney Nomiyama

Humanities Librarian

University of Hawaii at Mānoa 

Courtney Nomiyama is a Humanities Librarian at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Previously, she worked at a community college library, a high school library, and state government. Her interests include digital scholarship and public humanities. She holds a MLIS from the University of Washington and a BA in History and Asian Studies from St. Olaf College. Courtney is also a proud 2019 ALA Spectrum Scholar.

Sarah Nakashima

Humanities Librarian

University of Hawaii at Mānoa 

Sarah Nakashima is a Humanities Librarian at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she focuses on library instruction and student engagement.   

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