Iowa State’s Parks Library will once again host a variety of events during prep week and finals week, aiming to help students stay healthy, happy and stress-free.
Barks@Parks is an event in which Parks Library hosts therapy dogs for students to come and interact with as a way to relieve stress. Animal therapy like Barks@Parks is shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels, causing a calming effect, thus relieving stress, according to News in Health.
Barks@Parks will take place during prep week, from noon until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The therapy dogs can be found by following the paw marks in the library, leading to the Upper Rotunda.
Along with dogs, the library will be hosting a massage chair during prep week. There will be one massage chair, free to use, operating on a first-come-first-serve basis. The massage chair can be found in the Upper Rotunda from noon to 3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday of prep week.
The library will have student and peer wellness educators speak to students about wellness strategies to discuss stress-related issues and how to combat them. The educators will also be handing out wellness-related items to promote self-care during prep week.
During Barks@Parks, students can stop by the Study Abroad Center for a quick snack, activities and a chance to learn more about study abroad opportunities. The library will have coloring pages, puzzles and board games to help students slow down and relax.
In partnership with ISU Dining, Parks Library will offer free coffee in the Learning Connections Center. Students can pick up complimentary fruit snacks as they enter the building at Bookends Café. These snacks will be available on nights throughout prep week.
The library will be open 24/7 during finals week, Dec. 11–14. Parks provides free internet access, USB ports and electric outlets for devices. Students are encouraged to stop by at any time to study, relieve stress and prepare for finals week with peers in a warm and welcoming environment.
