10 Ways Today’s Academic Libraries Are Supporting Student Well-Being

It’s almost that time of year—back to school. It can be a time of excitement and fresh starts, but it can also bring significant stress that can negatively affect a student’s mental health. For students in higher education, there’s good news: Academic libraries are increasingly meeting the challenge of supporting student well-being as part of their mission.

This support takes many forms depending on the library, its user base, and individual needs. It can include offerings such as programs, spaces, and services designed to reduce stress, improve focus, and foster a sense of belonging. It’s vital because mental health issues at the postsecondary level are widespread, driven by a multitude of causes and triggers. Libraries have long been finding innovative ways to support these students.

Here are just a few examples of how academic libraries are leading the way to help students reduce and manage the stress they might encounter each semester.

1. Dedicated Mindfulness Centers

New York State’s Adelphi University offers a Mindfulness Center. It’s available to students, as well as staff and faculty (mental health concerns have no age or life-status limits). It’s a space designed specifically for meditation, but it can also be used for quiet personal reflection and self-grounding. The school also offers programs focused on topics such as finding inner peace, hope, and positivity.

2. Tailored Therapy Dog Programs

Landmark College in Putney, VT, has a robust therapy dogs program. There are several dogs available, all owned by Landmark College staff members. Each dog has a distinct personality, and students can choose the type of support they’d like from a therapy dog, whether it’s snuggling with a puppy, taking a stroll on campus, or playing tug and fetch.

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3. Targeted Counseling Groups and Workshops

In Massachusetts, Tufts University provides counseling groups and workshops. These are two distinct categories. Counseling groups require students to commit to attending all sessions once they’ve completed an individual pre-group conversation with the facilitator. The groups are encouraged to share and process concerns, often deepening relationships and conversation as the groups continue.

In contrast, the workshops are often one-time events that students can simply show up for, although some do require advance registration, but no one-on-one conversation. Topics for the groups and workshops include how to manage ADHD, how undergrads can develop social connections, understanding relationships, and coping with loss.

4. On-Site Mental Health Clinics and Stress-Busting Pets

At the University of Minnesota, the university library systems partnered with the student health services provider to open a mental health clinic inside Wilson Library, on the west bank of the campus. The library also hosts the clinic’s Pet Away Worry and Stress (PAWS) program, where students can spend time with a wide variety of registered therapy animals: dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and, on occasion, miniature donkeys.

Another program is Friday Finish, which encourages students to avoid procrastination and get their work done so they can enjoy the weekend and not become stressed on Sunday night. The program runs with free peer tutoring at Walter Library on the east bank, where students can be tutored or take breaks for arts and crafts.

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5. High-Tech Wellness Tools and Sensory Spaces

At the University of Florida, the George A. Smathers Libraries announced that, as of fall 2026, they will offer Wellness Tech. This includes things like meditation devices, noise-canceling headphones, and breathing companions. Among existing support plans at the libraries are board game spaces, a makerspace, and nap pods in the Health Science Center Library, which also has an extensive set of wellness books.

6. Reservable Sensory Rooms for Neurodiverse Students

Penn State University’s library group offers the LibWell group, which provides De-Stress Fest to relax students when finals week approaches, Open Educational Resources (OER) for low- or no-cost access to wellness and learning materials, dedicated relaxation and sensory-inspired spaces, and a special Sensory Room for neurodiverse students, who can reserve the space online.

7. Curated Digital Resource Hubs

Minnesota’s St. Catherine University library offers a comprehensive Wellness page with varying resources such as videos, books, links, podcasts, and apps. During the ICE surge in Minnesota in the winter of 2026, the page was updated with specific articles related to stress in that situation.

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8. De-Stress Fests and Creative Resilience Workshops

North Carolina State University Libraries host numerous events designed to provide encouragement, support, and relaxation for students. Programming includes petting sessions with therapy dogs, Crafting Resilience and Creative Journaling, Femme nights, and an end-of-semester De-Stress Fest with exam kits, snack fairies, and immersive aquariums, among other offerings.

9. Holistic Well-Being and Prevention Events

The libraries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln host a series of well-being programs, which offer events ranging from a houseplant giveaway to suicide prevention training.

10. In-Library Peer Social Work Coaching

The Wells Library at Indiana University Bloomington provided advanced social work students who use peer coaching methods to address a range of concerns, including everything from social isolation to stress to time management and financial concerns. The sessions were offered in-person and virtual and come in thirty- and sixty-minute versions. Students can use one session or multiple if needed. The guiding principle is that while some students need the coaching to address an immediate crisis, these can also be used to prevent situations from reaching the crisis point.

Want to learn more? Explore your local campus library’s wellness resources to learn about and connect with the services designed to support academic and personal well-being.

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