UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — During finals week, Penn State University Libraries is offering fun and relaxing De-Stress Fest activities to help students at the University Park campus relax and ease stress as they study for finals and complete end-of-semester papers and projects. In addition, extended hours at most Libraries locations University-wide are in effect through Friday, Dec. 15, with Pattee Library and Paterno Library offering continuous 24-hour access.
End-of-semester hours at all Libraries locations are available at https://libraries.psu.edu/hours-and-locations.
Also, the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology and the University Libraries again will co-sponsor an extension of CATA Loop Bus late-night service to assist students with travel to and from computer labs and Libraries locations during the end of the semester. Available daily through Dec. 16, the Blue Loop will run to 2:21 a.m. and the White Loop will run to 2:15 a.m. at the Pattee Transit Center. Those buses will run approximately every 20 minutes.
De-Stress Fest once again will take place in five University Park Libraries locations across the University Park campus, offering free coffee and snacks, as well as games, activities, art therapy and other stress management options. Students can stop in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, Dec. 10-12, for free coffee and snacks, games and art therapy. HealthWorks will offer a De-Stress Zone with brain massage music, biofeedback programs and more from 4 to 6 p.m. each day.
Additional puzzles and games will be available in the first floor lobbies of Pattee Library and Paterno Library to help students relieve stress during the busy week. Branch library locations at University Park will offer snacks, coffee hours and various activities to students while they study, as well as extended hours of operation at all locations.
McKinnon’s Café, ground floor West Pattee Library, also will be open with extended hours beginning Friday, Dec. 8 — with special hours Saturday, Dec. 9 — and continuing through finals week.
The full schedule for De-Stress Fest activities at all University Park Libraries locations is listed below:
Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library (first floor, Stuckeman Family Building), Tuesday, Dec. 5–Thursday, Dec. 7
- All day: Puzzles available
- 7-9 p.m: snacks and drinks
Pattee Library and Paterno Library, Sunday, Dec. 10–Tuesday, Dec. 12
- All day: Puzzles in Paterno Library lobby
- All day: Wii and bean bag toss all day in Central Pattee Library lobby
- 3-8 p.m.: Free coffee and snacks, games and art therapy, Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library
- 4-6 p.m.: Healthworks Destress Zone, includes biofeedback programs, brain massage music, Penn State coloring books, games and more, Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library
Engineering Library (325 Hammond Building), Saturday, Dec. 9–Thursday, Dec. 14
- Puzzles and other activities all day throughout the week
Saturday, Dec. 9:
- Surprise coffee hours; please "Bring Your Own Cup" (BYOC)
Sunday, Dec. 10:
- 6-7 p.m. snacks and drinks; BYOC
Monday, Dec. 11–Wednesday, Dec. 13:
- 10-11 a.m. and 6-7 p.m.: snacks and drinks; BYOC
Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (second floor, Davey Lab), Monday, Dec. 11–Thursday, Dec. 14
- All day: Snack and drinks, while they last
- All day: Puzzles and other activities
Fletcher L. Byrom Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (105 Deike Building), Sunday Dec. 10–Thursday, Dec. 14
- Daily: Fresh apples and snacks available while they last
- All day: Puzzles and other activities available
For more information about De-Stress Fest or for questions about accommodations for this event, contact Megan Gilpin at 814-867-0069 or mcg13@psu.edu.