"That was the most profound moment for me. Students were walking by, stopping and going, 'What's this?' and I would watch them texting their friends to come down from the upper floors to see the performance. That was an experience I don't think these students would have had otherwise because they were in the library."
"Increasingly, UC Davis students are turning to Shields Library not just to study but to attend musical performances, meet with mental health ambassadors, cuddle with therapy dogs and engage in other activities. Campus leaders say it has become a third place—a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe a space beyond home and work where people gather, connect and belong."
"Amid broader discussions about the disappearance of third places—particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic—the role of community as a public health necessity has gained renewed attention. College libraries nationwide have increasingly stepped into that void."
College libraries across the United States are transforming into community gathering spaces known as third places—environments beyond home and work where people connect and belong. UC Davis's Shields Library hosts musical performances, therapy dog sessions, and mental health services, creating unexpected experiences for students. Similar initiatives occur at Boston University, University of Louisville, and Boise State University, where libraries offer event spaces, coffee shops, family study rooms, and social areas. This shift addresses the broader disappearance of third places, particularly accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Campus leaders recognize community spaces as essential for public health and student well-being, positioning libraries as intellectually, organizationally, and physically central to campus life.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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