The University of Akron Wayne College knows that a strong sense of belonging is crucial for college student success and well-being, impacting their academic performance, mental health and overall college experience. That’s why the Wayne College Library launched a series of “Loud in the Library” events in the fall 2024 semester to take meaningful student engagement to a new level.
Maureen Lerch, Wayne College Library Director, attended the American Library Association’s annual conference and gathered ideas and new ways to support students and enhance their sense of belonging on campus. During the Welcome to Wayne Day event before the start of the 2024 fall semester, she encouraged students who visited the library’s information table to express interest in the program ideas and provide ideas of their own. She also follows a Facebook group for programming librarians whose members share program and event successes and failures.
Keeping these ideas and the students’ feedback in mind, the library began experimenting during the fall semester with a series of fun after-hours programs designed to encourage student engagement in the library’s spaces. These “Loud in the Library” programs include game nights, trivia nights, Dungeons and Dragons nights, and Speed Friending. Silent Book Club® is part of the series, but it’s not as “loud” in the library as the other programs are!
Students mostly attend these events, but some events have included the faculty and staff as well as students’ friends, spouses, family members and other members of the local community.
Dungeons and Dragons nights are by far the most engaging program in the Loud in the Library series. “It’s been so rewarding to see the friendships forming and the teamwork that happens at every game. I am amazed by how knowledgeable some of the teammates are. But everyone is so friendly and helpful that it makes learning the game so fun. This is also the loudest in our Loud in the Library events!” Maureen said.
Since some students are unable to attend during the day because of conflicts with their class schedules (or in the case of College Credit Plus students needing to get back to their high schools), scheduling the events in the evening allows for more students (and community members) to come back to campus around dinner time. Refreshments are served at each event and vary depending on the start time. Pizza is available on D&D nights since many of the participants are arriving straight from classes, after-school sports or work. Lighter refreshments are available for events that start later in the evening.
Because of these events, Maureen said, “we have found that the students who participate in our programs are more likely to ask us for help earlier and more often than students who haven’t made any personal connections with us. The students tell us that they feel more engaged on campus, and many have formed new friendships or have gotten to know classmates they haven’t had opportunities to get to know outside of class.”
Zion Belmont, a frequent Loud in the Library participant and one of the D&D Dungeon Masters was asked about the friendships that have developed over the past year. “There are students who are in my classes that I hadn’t talked to outside of class until they started coming to the events. I've become friends with all of the D&D players and anytime I see them around we stop to talk or at the very least smile and greet each other in passing. We've even started a new Minecraft world with all of the members of our D&D party, and I’ve met up with a couple of them off campus for gatherings.”
A survey that asked participants to write short words or a phrase to describe how they felt after the event showed many people describing their feelings as happy, excited and amused. A few favorite comments are “amused with players' in-game decisions,” “shared good laughs,” “creative,” “lovely people” and “geeking out, excited for next session!”
The final Loud in the Library event of the 2024-25 academic year was movie night in UA Wayne’s auditorium. Guests brought their pillows and blankets and enjoyed popcorn while they watched “Spaceballs”.
The Wayne College Library will again be offering the Loud in the Library events for the 2025-26 academic year and is excited to announce the addition of some new events: a puzzle competition, Murder Mystery Night, Nailed It! Craft Night, Bullet Journal Workshop, and more movie nights.
UA Wayne supports student success by offering flexible class schedules, extensive resources and a vibrant range of student activities tailored to busy commuters. Our dedicated staff helps each student discover the right path for their individual goals, recognizing the importance of balancing work, academics and life. Beyond academics, UA Wayne is committed to creating engaging and meaningful experiences and encourages all students and community members to explore and participate in the variety of events happening across campus. Visit our website, the calendar tab (filter to Wayne College) and the Wayne College Library page for more information.
