Sensory rooms are spaces that offer equipment, furniture, and lighting systems that generate soothing experiences. They may feature white noise machines, bubble tubes, bean bags, relaxation lamps, fidget toys, fiber optic sprays, mood stools, and weighted lap pads.
Sensory rooms can help students take short brain breaks between study sessions. Other students prefer to read and study for long periods in the sensory spaces themselves, finding that the rooms sharpen their concentration.
Many libraries have study rooms but most were designed with neurotypical students in mind. Turning some of those rooms into sensory rooms can support neurodiverse students and other students with sensory issues.
A sensory room meets students’ sensory needs and relieves stress so they can learn and function better. It is specially useful for neurodiverse students but helps students dealing with anxiety and depression A sensory room can be therapeutic for any student! (or staff, faculty)
Examples at Fellow Colleges and Universities:
Joyner Library, East Carolina University
Francis Harvey Green Library, West Chester University
Trexler Library, DeSales University
Saint Francis University Library
Clincher: Why make sensory rooms in academic libraries?
- Communicate to all students we value them
- Mental health first aid (supplement counseling centers)
- Offer another type of study environment
- Great cost/benefit ratio
- Relieve stress for students so they can focus and learn
The Alpha Egg Chairs in our sensory rooms are shaped to create stable sensory zones, and they offer embedded speakers with amplifier connections to support immersive experiences.
Various colored shades evoke different sensory experiences for the users of the sensory rooms.
