A sensory room pop-up: Supporting student wellness in the library

Background: In 2022, McGoogan Health Sciences Library at the University of Nebraska Medical Center launched a sensory room pop-up experience. A student senate representative proposed that the library create a sensory environment for students to explore and integrate the use of their senses to advance their education and increase well-being. The objective of the room was to provide space to explore all five senses as an integral part of students’ educational journey. In creating a customizable room, students could choose to reduce stress, improve focus, or take time for a “brain break.” While sensory rooms may be present in K-12 schools, clinical settings, and public libraries, there was little evidence of sensory rooms in academic medical center libraries or other higher education student-focused spaces.

Description: The student’s proposal outlined goals for a sensory room pop-up that included background research and a detailed mood board that provided examples of items, activities, and lights to convey a “feeling” for the space. A team of library staff considered the proposal alongside library space constraints, budget availability, and facility rules. Once the project plan was approved, the team worked with the student to launch a summer pilot and two fall pop-up sessions, each lasting five days. In preparation, a scale model was created to visualize how to best use the chosen classroom. Due to the large room size, the space was divided into smaller sections to offer multiple experiences. Areas included a semi-enclosed private tent with bean-bag pillows, small projection lights and battery-operated candles (sight), a kinetic sand play space as well as craft tables and fidget toys (touch), a video and music relaxation nook (sound), a snack bar (taste), and takeaway scented items (smell). Overhead lighting was also adjustable to allow users to further customize their experience at any chosen station. Completed artwork was displayed in the entrance and exit walkway. Anonymous assessments were passively gathered via a paper form.

Conclusion: The summer pilot permitted the team to assess the set-up with a smaller invited group of testers and students. The planning team reviewed feedback from the pilot to prepare for the fall pop-ups. The first fall pop-up created significant buzz across campus, including requests for a permanent sensory room in the library. For the second fall pop-up, we partnered with occupational therapy students to create “did you know” messages to promote engagement with learning about sensory experiences. We plan to consider all feedback and talk with campus partners to determine the best way to include sensory experiences within the library.