Emerson College Library: Library Programs & Events: Library Sponsored Events

Library Sponsored Events

Every year, the Iwasaki Library participates in the school-wide new student orientation. This student-run event is the work of many hands. In recent years, the Library and IT have combined their event into the "Library & IT Extravaganza." This event features a raffle, swag, free food, and games.

2019 Description:

Come eat free food, eat prizes, and play games with members of the Iwasaki Library and Information Technology staff at our extravaganza open house! There will be crafts, karaoke, ping pong, a raffle for bookstore gift cards...and more! Explore our spaces throughout the building to earn a second raffle entry.

In addition, the Library sometimes hosts other Orientation events like the "Off-Campus student breakfasts," Transfer student events, and the "Resource Fair." The Resources Fair features tables from campus offices gathered in one place for parents and students to learn about without over crowding the check-in location in the Bordy Theatre.

2019 Resource Fair Description:

Have some time to kill? Want to learn more about the available resources at Emerson? Drop by to meet representatives from the Library, Religious & Spiritual Life, Fitness Center, Alumni Relations, and more!

Also learn about the Library's week-long Selfie Quest for a chance to win and additional $50 bookstore gift card.

The Cirque de De-Stress is the signature event of the Iwasaki Library. It is co-sponsored by the Emerson Wellness Center and Student Accessibility Services with additional support from Student Affairs. This event takes place on a Friday afternoon towards the end of each semester. It was first run in Fall 2014 and has persisted every semester since then. In-person Cirques feature free food, crafts, games, chair massages, and (most importantly) therapy dogs! The purpose of this event is to give students a chance to relax right before the end of the semester. Virtual Cirques seek to replicate the in-person event as much as possible. Past events have linked to relaxing videos, music, craft ideas, etc. as well as videos and photos from some of our therapy dog alumni.

The first organizing committee (Patty Challon from ECAPS, Diane Paxton from SAS, and Cate Schneiderman from the Library) won the Spirit of Emerson Award in 2015 for creating the Cirque de De-Stress.

The Teach-in on Race is an annual event held at Emerson College to engage the community in discussions about race and privilege. For the last two years the Iwasaki Library has contributed programming to this event. Our goal is to show how the library is a neutral space that can be involved in the work of social justice.

2019: Ciera Burch Reading

Join the Iwasaki Library and MFA candidate Ciera Burch for a reading from her short story Yvonne, this year’s One City One Story selection (part of the Boston Book Festival), followed by a question and answer session with the author. Now in its 10th year, the OneCity OneStory program is designed to foster a culture of literature and idea-sharing in the City of Boston. The Boston Book Festival is held every fall in Copley Square. Pick up a free copy of Yvonne at the Library Service Desk or online.

2018: Wiki Edit-a-Thon

Spotlight on Screenwriters of Color during the Iwasaki Library's first ever Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon! Drop-in at the library between 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the Teach-In on Race. Our theme for this event is Screenwriters of Color. Help us improve and add information about underrepresented screenwriters. Never edited Wikipedia before? No problem! Register in advance [link expired]. Special Guest Rae Shaw will be giving a talk on her current research project on African American Screenwriters at 2:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Additional events sponsored and organized by the Iwasaki Library since 2013 include readings, bookclub meetings, launches for library and college initiatives (ECHO, RISE, AiA), small discussion groups (Conversations on Race, Dumplings & Conversation), faculty development programs, and staff social events. For many years, the library hosted the "Emerson Authors" event to recognize faculty members who had published a book in the previous year. That program is being reimagined as a digital repository called Emerson ARC. Faculty are encouraged to submit their publications for inclusion in the ARC.