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As the year comes to a close and the Christmas season takes hold, ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú Libraries provided students with enriching —offering a reprieve from studying and encouraging community connection. Held throughout Payson Library on the Malibu campus, students were invited to create ornaments and Christmas cards in the Genesis Lab and build mini gingerbread houses near the first-floor circulation desk. While many students took their cookie creations home to continue decorating or enjoy as a tasty snack, others left theirs on display in the library, adding to Payson's Christmas decor.

Student gingerbread displays

Mark Roosa, ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú's dean of libraries and interim director of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, relates that December can be a hectic time for students as they complete final projects and prepare for exams. By offering these Christmas crafts, the Libraries gives students a much-needed break and a way to enjoy the spirit of the season.

"In addition to partnering with faculty to bring library services and resources into the classroom, we strive to bring a little joy to students’ lives during this stressful period through our end-of-semester holiday offerings," shared Roosa. "The gingerbread house activity, in particular, captures the Libraries’ Christmas spirit. I’m always impressed by the creativity on display and love seeing the smiles on students’ faces as they enjoy the pastime."

Victorian Christmas cards

In addition to these activities, ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives is celebrating the season with a display of a little-known Christmas story published in 1944 by beloved author Beatrix Potter. The archives is the proud owner of a second-edition printing from 1967. Like much of Potter’s work, Wag-by-Wall introduces a cast of whimsical characters—including a talking clock and a singing kettle—set in the English countryside.

The ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú community is also invited to explore a curated list of Christmas-inspired , featuring a variety of digital materials such as historical , from ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú’s Christmases past, audiobooks, and streaming videos and films. Available online to faculty, staff, and students, these resources are accessible through the Libraries’ institutional platform subscriptions.

And if that weren't enough, the University community can enjoy of the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú Libraries team's pets dressed in their holiday finest. 

Pets of ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú Libraries

For more information on holiday resources and upcoming events, visit the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú Libraries official .