We invite Dickinson students, faculty, and staff to host or sponsor activities. To make a suggestion for an event or exhibit/display in the library, please review our guidelines and submit a proposal at least one month prior to proposed activity date.
This banner exhibit, curated by Arisa Jang ‘25 and sponsored by the Popel Shaw Center for Race & Ethnicity and Rev. Yvette Davis, can be viewed on the endcaps of the stacks leading to the East Asian Studies Reading Room on our upper level.
This timeline traces the history of Asian American, Pacific Islander (AAPI), and International Asian-identifying communities at Dickinson College. From the arrival of the first Asian students in the 1920s to the vibrant voices shaping campus today. Too often, the contributions and experiences of Asian students have existed on the margins, acknowledged only at a surface level or overlooked entirely.
Through this exhibition, we seek to reclaim the narrative, bringing visibility, depth, and recognition to the diverse histories, identities, and legacies of Asian students at Dickinson. This timeline not only honors the trailblazers who have paved the way but also celebrates the ongoing efforts of AAPI and International Asian-identifying students to build community, spark change, and enrich campus life. By highlighting their stories, we affirm that their presence is not just part of Dickinson’s past but is essential to its present and future.
This exhibit, curated by Moses Krueger ‘24, Waidner-Spahr Library Fellow, and Emma Rodrigues ‘25, is now on display in the Archives Hallway on the lower level of the library.
In response to the killing of 4 students at Kent State University and the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia, Dickinson College went on strike for the week of May 4, 1970. In this whirlwind of a week, Dickinson students advocated for the end of the conflict, worked to educate themselves and the community, and held a march on the U.S. Army War College. Inspired by their advocacy and civic engagement, this display works to tell the story of Dickinson College's Strike Week, utilizing never-before-seen photographs by Pierce Bounds ‘71 and original documents from the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections.
Every day, innocent objects are lost or abandoned at the library. At the end of the year, we exhibit these lost & found items in an attempt to reunite these objects with their students. They receive names and bios in hopes they might attract the attention of the person who lost them. One of these objects is Misty Poppins, a blue compact umbrella:
Trim, muted, and unfailingly composed, the kind of umbrella who showed up just as the clouds turned curious. She may never have taken flight, but she was certainly seen drifting across brick walkways with intention. Some say she offered unsolicited advice. Others say she simply listened while you cried about your thesis in the rain.
Meet Misty and many other lost belongings at our display case in the Reference Area, now through graduation!
Not only is the library a good place to study, but it is also a great place to take a break!
Our brain break table, located near the circulation desk, will have rotating activities from May 3 to May 13 to help your mind relax after a study session. Stop by for a few minutes each day to build a puzzle, paint rocks for our rock garden, or destress with other fun and creative activities.
We know that finals week can be a time of great stress, but it is important to take care of yourself throughout these next few weeks. Other departments across campus are also sponsoring study breaks throughout the finals season, and our friends at Campus Life have compiled them all here.
The Dickinson Biology Department's microscope collection is now on exhibit in the circulation desk area of the library through May 2.
This display is a public science education project produced by students in Professor John Henson's Spring 2025 Bio-Imaging course, which covers the theory and practice of light microscopic imaging. Student groups researched their individual microscopes and generated images using them - typically via the use of cell phone cameras with mirror-based illumination coming from cell phone flashlights. For the 1740 Matthew Loft built microscope, this means that this is the first picture taken from this instrument in the 285 years of its existence!
Calling all poster presenters! We're hosting a Poster Design Workshop on Thursday, April 3 from 12pm-1pm in the Stafford Auditorium in Rector Science Complex.
Do you need to create a poster for the Science Symposium or Psych Day? Or do you have an upcoming conference? Would you like to learn about best practices in creating a poster? Do you want a quick list of different templates for poster creation? Join us for this workshop on designing academic conference posters where we will cover all of this and more! Lunch will be provided.
Back by popular demand for the third year in a row - please join the Women's and Gender Resource Center and the Waidner-Spahr Library on Wednesday, April 2 from 4pm-6pm to celebrate lesbians!
As part of Campus PRIDE Week (hosted by the LGBTQ+ Center), we'll have lots of snacks, crafts, and music for a fun and casual celebration of all things lesbian and queer-women oriented. Come check out cool materials from the archives, or find a movie, book, or graphic novel featuring lesbian and queer women characters, thanks to displays from the library.
All identities are very welcome.
Cardboard sculptures are back in the library! They will be on display in the circulation desk area through March 21.
Each year, students from ARTH123: Fundamentals of Sculpture, taught by Professor Anthony Cervino, display their cardboard sculptures in the library. We are always very excited to host this exhibit in the library, and we are continually impressed by the creativity of our students. Stop in at the library over the next few weeks to see their creations!
Join us to uncover mysteries and puzzles as you and your group of friends transform into a group of amateur vampire hunters who have received a missive asking for your assistance at Castle Waidner-Spahr. Your party will need to work together to find clues and seal the mysterious and elusive Count Stackula away. But you must do so before dark. Who knows what will happen if the Count finds you when he wakes...
Our escape room activity is meant for groups of 4-8 people. Space is limited and you must sign up in advance. We will run six sessions throughout spring break: Monday 3/10 at 9:30am and 1:30pm, Tuesday 3/11 at 9:30am and 1:30pm, and Wednesday 3/12 at 9:30am and 1:30pm. Each session will last about two hours.
To participate, please form a group and have one student register the entire group on our calendar. Click on your preferred time on the calendar and select "Begin Registration."
This activity is the almost the exact escape room from Pre-Orientation 2024, so please do not sign up if you have already completed it.
Join us in exploring our new historic comic book collection at Archives Con on Wednesday, February 26 from 6pm-8pm! Activities will include creating your own comic panels, step-by-step comic illustration, and collaging. Snacks will be provided.
Thank you so much to Professor John Truden from the Center for the Future of Native Peoples and his father, Thomas M. Truden, for donating their historic comic collection to Archives & Special Collections.