Webster Library’s Leisure and Wellness Space has a new home
The Leisure and Wellness Space at Concordia’s Webster Library (LB) has a new home. Now located on the library’s second floor, it is more prominent and visible when entering the library via LB-2.
Webster Library’s new Leisure and Wellness Space can accommodate 20 people at a time — a greater number of students than in its previous location on LB-3. It also boasts two sources of natural light, adding to its relaxed ambiance.
The space gathers the board games, puzzles and leisure books into one area. The library also added more furniture, ensuring students can relax, socialize, play games in small groups or enjoy other leisure activities such as reading or drawing.
Plenty of ways to relax
The Library Services Fund (LSF) Committee funded the expanded amenities for students to enjoy in the new space.
Since 2010, in collaboration with the LSF Committee, the Concordia Library has provided various services and offerings to students each academic term. These include course reserve rooms, short-term loans of laptops and tablets, the adoption of open-education resources — specifically, open textbooks — accessories for library study and more.
The library also has a growing collection of non-academic materials for leisure reading and viewing. Items include fantasy books, science fiction, graphic novels, literary fiction, streaming videos, DVDs and music that are available for students to enjoy in between their study sessions.
Leisure improves overall health, education
Laura Ivan, head of information services at Webster Library, is excited about the newly relocated Leisure and Wellness Space at Webster Library.
“It gathers the different elements of the Leisure and Wellness Library initiative in one place. And, due to its increased visibility and cohesive design decisions, it creates a more comfortable setting that invites students to take restorative breaks, socialize and enjoy the leisure collections,” she says.
Students spend a lot of time in the library reading academic materials for courses, research projects and studying for exams. This type of reading is an important component of their studies, but leisure reading is also beneficial to overall health and learning. The library aims to provide a wide range of reading experiences and strives for diversity of authors and narratives in the books it selects.
“Leisure reading, playing board games, solving puzzles and engaging in crafts are known to help lower stress levels, improve mood and general well-being in addition to making studying more effective,” Ivan explains.
Another noteworthy element of the new leisure space is the large painting recently installed in one of its reading nooks. Courtesy of the library’s collaboration with Art Volt, Gabor Bata’s Mouth Breather, 2023 is on loan from the Art Volt Collection.
The display makes art more accessible to students while showcasing works by recent Faculty of Fine Arts alumni.
Student input welcome
Ivan adds, “I’ve noticed that students have started gravitating toward the new space immediately, which can be credited to the array of seating options available, the design decisions that guided the colour, texture and fabric selection and the natural light that streams into the space.”
The Leisure and Wellness Collection has grown and has been shaped by student input since the project’s inception in 2022. The library staff welcome ongoing student feedback on the leisure and wellness spaces at Webster and Vanier libraries to ensure these collections reflect students’ needs and interests.
Suggestion boxes are available in the wellness spaces at both campuses. The library also solicits feedback through the Ask-a-Librarian email address or in person at the Ask Us Desk (Webster Library) or the Reference Desk (Vanier Library).
Discover the new Leisure and Wellness Space at Webster Library and learn more about the Concordia Library’s Leisure and Wellness Collection.
