Something for everyone: Activities & events

Libraries are usually known for their quiet atmosphere, but we like to shake things up from time to time. Two initiatives brought musicians into Library spaces for vibrant performances and discussions over the past academic year. 

In January, UVA librarians (and Gothic fiction devotees) Sherri Brown and Amy Hunsaker introduced the UVA Library Reading Challenge 2025: Four Centuries of Women’s Gothic. Brown, Librarian for English, and Hunsaker, Librarian for Music & Performing Arts, started the reading challenge with the goal of engaging UVA students, faculty, staff, and members of the Charlottesville community, although they welcome all readers who may be interested in “a year of ghoulish intrigue and mystery!”

Academia can be hard, all on its own … and it’s even harder while raising a family or serving as caretaker for a loved one. Hoping to help make things a little easier, the Library has begun offering Childcare Fun Packs for checkout. 

Just inside the doorway of the Scholars’ Lab, located on the third floor of Shannon Library, a tall, rotating rack displays numerous colorful zines — small, independently produced magazines or booklets. Current titles include “Booklab Time Machine,” “Play With Your Data,” and “The Good Pets of UVA Library.” Welcome to the Zine Bakery, the brainchild of Amanda Wyatt Visconti, Director of the Scholars’ Lab.