Celebrating Names and Uniqueness

Submitted by: Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams

The Public Services team at the Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine is always looking for fun monthly observances that we can adapt to create opportunities for engagement with our users in and around the library space. Because our library is 98% digital and is primarily used for studying, drawing users to the space with a different pop-up event each month is a strategy we employ to increase foot traffic, foster a sense of community, and provide a break from studying.

One such event is “Celebrate Your Name Week,” which occurred from March 2-8 this year. A quick internet search revealed that not many libraries were doing any kind of programming around this event, so our team came up with something that would work in our space. We decided to use two large bulletin boards to encourage passersby outside the library to share their name, what it means, and any story associated with the origin of their name or why they were named as they were. This simple pop-up event resulted in so much more user engagement than we predicted. It also created an opportunity for us to celebrate our uniqueness as a college. We were pleasantly surprised by how meaningful this activity became. Users shared heartfelt stories about family traditions, cultural backgrounds, and personal connections tied to their names.

While programming like this may seem like a superficial attempt at fostering a sense of belonging and promoting representation, it plays a meaningful role in creating an environment where everyone feels valued. It helps build community, recognizes individuality, and reinforces the importance of ensuring everyone feels included and respected. Activities like this are especially relevant when the climate we find ourselves in is not encouraging of more overt or deeper attempts at creating inclusive spaces. In the future, we may locate the boards in an area that receives more foot traffic, such as the first floor of our building, to encourage more staff and faculty participation from folks who may not frequently visit the second floor where the library is located.

Looking for ways to promote outreach in your library? Check out Planning and Promoting Events in Health Sciences Libraries, edited by Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams.