UW Libraries Blog

October 28, 2024

Supporting Student Wellness (and a Cat Naming Contest!) 

UW Libraries

At the UW Libraries, enriching the student experience is a key priority when evaluating our spaces, services, and events. This year, we’re focusing on a key element of student success and happiness- wellness. Or, more specifically, supporting student wellness, wellbeing, and mental health. There are many student wellness resources across campus, but we want to make sure there are also resources available where students spend much of their time studying, resting, going to class and socializing – the Libraries. 

We’re excited to share with you some of the new wellness offerings coming to Odegaard Library!

WELLNESS KITS

Everyone has a different method for de-stressing, so the Odegaard Library wellness team put together four kits consisting of items grouped by activity type. The Mindfulness Kit, Focus Kit, Creativity Kit and Sensory Kit contain items meant to de-stress, reinvigorate, and refocus you during long study sessions in Odegaard. Learn more about each kit on our new Wellness at Odegaard Library Guide. 

Mindfulness Kit

Focus Kit

Creativity Kit

Sensory Kit

ODEGAARD WELLNESS TECHNOLOGY COLLECTION 

In addition to our Wellness Kits, we also have available wellness technology for checkout and use in the library. These items were purchased with funding generously provided by the Student Technology Fee Program. You can learn more about each item on our new Wellness at Odegaard Library Guide.

  • Lumie Light Therapy Lamps for an extra dose of light when the days get dark.
  • White Noise Machines for when it’s too quiet to think.
  • Visual Timers for a visual way to track the time.
  • Cellphone Lock boxes for when you know you need to stop doom scrolling, but you need a little extra help.
  • Companion Cats for when you just need a bit of furry companionship, minus the allergies. (9 out of 10 library employees agree that these look a bit uncanny valley, but holding them is actually very soothing.)
"Grey Companion Cat", one of several available

“Grey Companion Cat”, one of several available

CAT NAMING CONTEST

Speaking of our two new Companion Cats, we want your help in naming them! Please enter your suggestions using this form (requires a UW NetID to enter; safe-for-work suggestions only, please!) and there will be voting on the finalists later in Fall Quarter. One caveat in the spirit of transparency: We’re not naming them Catty McCatFace, no matter how many votes it may get. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

We’ve been working hard to create events that give students a space to relax and connect. 

Card Games and Cup Noodles at Odegaard LibraryA few of the upcoming events are smaller reprisals of popular Dawg Daze events where students asked for an encore:

We’ll also have some more study related events around finals, dates TBD!

FINALLY, A TEASER FOR THINGS TO COME…

In our quest to broaden wellness support for students, we’re planning some changes for spaces in Odegaard Library, including the development of an Odegaard Library Wellness Room!  Keep an eye on this blog for updates and opportunities to collaborate and give feedback on the Wellness Room planning with us!

THE WHY

New literature and data connects student wellness and academic success. The Association of College & Research Libraries listed supporting student wellness, well-being, and mental health as a top trend for academic libraries in 2024. We are staying current and responding to user needs.

Equally important, we are invested in cultivating a culture of care in library spaces. Walt Whitman said he contained multitudes, and we know that you do, too – but it turns out multitudes are surprisingly heavy to carry around all the time. As UW Libraries employees who see you every day – happy, sad, stressed, excited, tired, maybe a little hangry – we want to lighten the load for you, even if it’s just for a little while between classes. 

BE WELL, HUSKIES

We hope you try out all of the new wellness supports– check out a kit, pet a cat, come to an event, and stay tuned for more news as we expand wellness space at Odegaard! We’re all rooting for you!