PDA Event: Fun in the Stacks: Enhancing Student Experiences through Non-Traditional Library Events
In today’s academic landscape, college libraries are more than just a place for study—they're a hub for creativity, relaxation, and connection. With the increasing pressures students face, our library has taken the initiative to create a range of engaging, non-traditional events that not only provide stress relief but also foster a stronger connection between students and the library.
This session will delve into some of the innovative and fun events we host, such as Laser Tag Night, Game Nights, Mini Golf in the Stacks, and Trivia Night, all designed to draw students into the library in unexpected and exciting ways. Additionally, we offer activities like jewelry making and an activity station during exams, giving students a creative outlet and a break from the intensity of academic life.
By integrating these activities into our library services, we have seen a noticeable increase in student engagement, not only in these events but also in traditional library services. Our students feel more at ease with the library environment and are more likely to approach librarians for academic assistance and support.
Presenters:
Hillary Arieux is the Resource Sharing Librarian at Florida Southern College. She is the subject liaison to Communications and handles copyright inquiries received by the library. She is an active participant of FLA and FACRL.
Julie Hornick is the head of library instruction at Florida Southern College and provides instructional and research support to a number of schools and departments. Prior to working in academic libraries, she spent 13 years as a school librarian in South Carolina, working in elementary and middle school libraries. Professionally, she has chaired the LIRT President’s Program Committee and the ACRL Instruction Section’s Teaching Methods Committee, in addition to serving on the executive board of the Florida Association of College and Research Libraries. Her research interests include incorporating new technologies into instruction, critical information literacy instruction, and gamification of instruction.
Randall M. MacDonald joined Florida Southern College in 1986 as a Reference Librarian and has since served as Collection Development Librarian, Director of the Library from 2007 to 2024, and currently as Dean of Library Services. He served as President of the Tampa Bay Library Consortium in 2012 and, since 2009, has contributed to accreditation efforts with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Marina Morgan is the Head of Technical Services and Senior Librarian at Roux Library, Florida Southern College. She supervises all the department’s operations, serves as the ProQuest Electronic Theses and Dissertations and Folio ILS administrator, manages the Institutional Repository, and co-manages the Digital Collections with the College Archivist. In 2026, she completed the Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her research interests include leadership, digital humanities, metadata, and AI. Marina is also the current President of FLA.
Micah Walsleben is an Instructional Services Librarian at Florida Southern College, where she provides library instruction and research support to many of the college’s arts and humanities departments. Her background is primarily in academic and health sciences libraries. In addition to serving on committees within the college, she is a committee-serving member of the Florida Library Association.
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