Penn Libraries event celebrates its passport program encouraging students to explore library spaces

Penn Libraries hosted a Fall in Love with the Libraries Passport Finale event on Nov. 12 in the Weigle Information Commons of Van Pelt Library.

The celebration came two months into Penn Libraries' passport program, during which students were encouraged to reach beyond Penn’s most popular study spaces and explore the resources the Libraries have to offer. The program is in its third year, with slight changes made to the specific stamp stops each year. 

Students who participated in the program were given a series of fourteen tasks to complete at various locations across nearly all 19 libraries. The tasks ranged from taking a selfie in front of the building to learning skills related to the building’s focus directly from a librarian. 

“This activity helped me by pushing me to explore more about the different libraries in our school, and learn more about the resources they have,” Weitzman School of Design first-year Yujia Liu said.

At each stop, students were given a stamp in a small blue passport book to show that they had completed the designated activity. Librarians at each stop led the activity and provided the stamps.

“One of the stops in Van Pelt was really fun, [the librarian] introduced me to a little bit of Cyrillic,” Engineering freshman Leo Zhang said. “I got nine stamps in total at six libraries, and being able to understand and read new letters in Cyrillic was pretty great.”

Students who had completed seven stops by Nov. 12 received a Penn Libraries fall-themed water bottle. Throughout the afternoon, Student Engagement Librarian Alexandrea Glenn, who ran and created the passport program, handed out bottles to students who displayed their stamp-filled passports and encouraged them to add unique charms. She noted that students who participated in the program but did not attend the event should reach out to her to receive their prize.

In planning the program and event, Glenn worked in collaboration with other librarians who gave out stamps and created fun challenges or tasks at their stop. She also worked with the library communications department to create the passport book, maintain the book’s library guide, and design the water bottle prize.

“Libraries are always going to be important in student lives, they’re a third space. It’s important to get engaged in that early so that when you go out in the world, you already have built this connection and maybe you support your public library,” Glenn said. “A lot of people have anxiety about libraries, and with this program, I want to change that and say that libraries are there for you. We are here because we want to be of service to you.”