Have you heard of “FUNbrary?”

If you haven’t yet, you are missing out on some truly amazing events that Molstead Library is hosting!

The Molstead Library is committed to bringing the fun, turning the North Idaho College library into…. a FUNbrary.

Last Wednesday I finally had a spare moment between classes, and I took that opportunity to strut over to Molstead Library, something I had been meaning to do for weeks. I met with Public Services Librarian, Kristen Soderlind, who has been hosting the FUNbrary events and sat down to join. I am so glad that I finally made the time to go.

Because now, I can honestly report back–

If you have yet to attend, you are missing out!  NIC’s enthusiastic library staff have been putting on some outstanding, truly fun events for their community. Throughout this entire semester, almost every Wednesday, they will be encouraging all who would like to join, to come, take a break, relax, get creative and connect here with your community.

I was particularly interested in the event hosted last Wednesday, September the 23rd. This event was appropriately named, “Make & Take: Buttons,” and I ended up walking out of the library with an excessive amount of personalized bling for my backpack.

I’m very excited that I now get to share my experience with you, because it was such a wonderful afternoon! Soderlind was immediately very welcoming, genuinely encouraging, and inspired me to get creative. She was more than willing and happy to help guide me through how the make-and-take events work. Walking in, I thought making buttons required a skill that I definitely didn’t have, but Soderlind made it extremely simple and so much fun.

Naturally, I found myself curious; what was in it for Soderlind? What made her interested in putting all of this together? She shared how she loved seeing students get so passionate and excited about what they are creating. She talked about how they end up creating a little display of their inner character. She loves seeing how proud students are to show off their creations. Soderlind shared with me how heartwarming it was for her to see the participants express themselves.

“There’s just something about a make-and-take,” Soderlind said, “People get to create what they love, then they’re so excited to share it and show it off to everyone.”

I would urge any NIC students to spend a Wednesday afternoon having fun at the Molstead Library this fall. Coming together for events like this is a way to build friendships and enjoy the college experience with your peers.

“I’m actually super excited to be making buttons,” NIC student Brooke Kivett said. “It’s a nice, therapeutic relief from studying, and it’s a good creative outlet.”

I was able to interview some of my fellow students about what this experience was like for them. The response I received was an emphasis on how nice, relaxing, and relieving it was to have a calm and comfortable break from the stress of college. I was also able to witness a lot of playfulness, joy and laughter between friends. Students made buttons that showed off their personality, their favorite things or their sense of humor. It was wildly interesting to see how original, creative and unique all the different buttons turned out. 

“My favorite one is ‘Girls will be girls,'” NIC student Jillian Primgaard said after crafting some buttons, (shown below). “I would recommend ‘FUNbrary’ events 100 out of 10!”

College can be overwhelming, stressful, and tiring. It’s important to take care of yourself and spend time doing things that bring you joy. It’s a huge plus when you can do some of those things on campus!

“I got to truly express myself. I will absolutely be coming back, and it’s primarily because of her,” NIC student Ani Toews said, smiling and pointing at Soderlind. “She made it awesome!”

I firmly believe that community and connection are some of the most important things on this planet, and even little “get-togethers” like this can become special in that way. After a few hours of great company and creative crafts, I left with some endearing memories of my peers, and of Soderlind as well. She did a remarkable job fulfilling her role in public service, offering us all a little break from the stress of student life and an opportunity for community and creativity.