Open AccessCombining efforts: Libraries as mental health safe spaces
Author(s) -
Sabrina Thomas,
Kacy Lovelace
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
college and research libraries news
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.281
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 2150-6698
pISSN - 0099-0086
DOI - 10.5860/crln.80.10.546
Subject(s) - exhibition , mental health , space (punctuation) , face (sociological concept) , visual arts , public relations , process (computing) , psychology , sociology , library science , medical education , political science , art , medicine , computer science , psychiatry , social science , operating system
In the face of seemingly insurmountable, persisting problems, what is one thing that you could do to lift that burden in your own space, in your own building, or on your own walls?This defining question led to the creation of Marshall University (MU) Libraries Mental Health Initiative. The initiative began with an art exhibition titled: “Don’t Call Me Crazy: Resiliency through Art.” The goal of this exhibition was to encourage students, faculty, and staff to create artwork informed by mental health or to help process their own mental health. With more than 30 artists and 50 pieces filling the four floors of the library, we used this artwork to launch other aspects of the initiative.