Post by Mikayla Osso, Collections Operations Supervisor, USF Libraries’ Collections & Discovery department
The Leisure Reading Collection (LRC) was created to encourage students, faculty, and staff to pick up a good book and relax whether that be for a few minutes between classes or to wind down on a Friday evening after an incredibly busy week. Research has shown that reading for pleasure, even as little as 6 minutes a day, can reduce your stress levels by 68%, more than listening to music or taking a walk (Chiles, 2009). Your dedicated librarians over at USF Libraries appreciate the various stressors that are involved during the semester. We understand that life as a student can be hectic and does not always allow time to run to the public library, so we wanted to bring a little slice of that here to USF. The LRC is conveniently located on the first floor of the library, making it easy to come in, peruse the shelf, and grab a title without waiting an eternity for an elevator or hiking up 3-5 flights of stairs!
The LRC aims to provide books that can cater to as many people’s tastes as possible. Therefore, we have taken our time in curating a collection of titles that we hope will resonate with a reader from every background, from popular fiction titles such as Fourth Wing and Heated Rivalry to nonfiction titles such as Horror for Weenies or Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment without Burnout. We also carry graphic novels full of adorable adventures like Garlic and the Vampire and popular manga series, including The Apothecary Diaries and Solo-Leveling.
A few more of our titles include:
- Frequently Happy: 52 Mindful Moments to Bring Hope and Joy by David Larbi (non-fiction)
- The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica (fiction)
- Deep End by Ali Hazelwood (fiction)
- Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman (fiction, and soon to be horror movie Other Mommy)
- Dandadan by Yukinobu Tatsu (manga)
- The Freshman Survival Guide by Nora Bradbury-Haehl (non-fiction)
Want to see all the titles in the Leisure Reading Collection? View our Leisure Reading Collection.
We are constantly adding new titles to the collection each semester! Our goal with this collection is to provide support to student success as well as we can. It is one of many helpful resources and tools the USF Libraries provide to make the best of your college experience both in the classroom and outside of it! So, next time you find yourself in the library, take some time and wander over to the Leisure Reading Collection! Your next adventure will be waiting right there on the shelf!
Resources:
Chiles, A. (2009, March 30). Reading can help reduce stress, according to University of Sussex research. The Argus, https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4245076.reading-can-help-reduce-stress-according-to-university-of-sussex-research/.