Libraries are hubs of activity on a college campus, where busy researchers go to read, share, learn, and discuss. Students, faculty, and university visitors buzz in and out on their way to classes, to study, or to attend library events. Stacks of books are flanked by humming computer carrels. But where do students and learners go to find places to quietly connect with themselves or with others?
In an increasingly plugged-in world, outdoor labyrinths and green spaces provide a respite from the constant barrage of text messages, emails and other electronic noise. Meditative spaces reinforce that being a student is more than just taking information in, it is also about finding the time and space to absorb and process, to synthesize, and to gain a different kind of wisdom. And even more than that, learning is more than a solitary experience, and a labyrinth can provide a “safe space”; a common ground for people of diverse backgrounds to come together.
Attendees will learn about a unique partnership that co-locates a public library branch within the same building as the university library and hear testimony of the impact a library labyrinth has had on the community, on faculty, staff, and students. They will learn about curricular uses of the labyrinth, events that incorporate the space, and about how individuals have integrated it into their own learning practice. Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on ways that they view libraries and how they incorporate labyrinths into their own learning practices.