NAIT Student Life is fostering a new community for student book lovers. The OWL Book Swap, which is open to all NAIT students, aims to connect campus bookworms through previously-owned books. They have hosted two prior book swaps and will be returning to the CAT Glass Box on December 7. Lucia Deng, a Mental Health Program Assistant at NAIT, said the OWL Book Swap was an idea brought forward by a previous volunteer.
“It’s really beneficial for students’ overall wellbeing, financial wellbeing, environmental wellbeing… [and] social wellbeing,” said Deng.
The Owl Book Swap offers students the opportunity to start a new literary journey and part with books needing a new home, all while keeping books out of the landfill. “Sustainability is definitely a big … topic for us,” said Deng when asked about important event features. “We got a lot of donations from the NAIT library and then also the NAIT staff,” she said. This equipped the OWL Book Swap with roughly 130 books for students to search.
The swap on November 9 offered something different for attendees: café-style experience. “So today was our very first time trying the cafe style and we liked it a lot,” said Deng. The event’s success showcased the NAIT Student Life team’s ability to bring their ideas to life, offering students more than a hallway promotion. With the social wellbeing of students in mind, the team created an atmosphere of ambiance and relaxation for those experiencing a busy school semester.
The event included “really cute buttons” for students who donated books, but everyone can “take away free bookmarks,” said Deng. “They can also enjoy some drinks and snacks.”
In the future, NAIT Student Life is hoping to host monthly OWL Book Swaps for students to enjoy. “We want this to be a recurring, consistent event happening throughout the semester,” said Deng.
Students can anticipate attending the OWL Book Swap in a consistent location so they have a “safe spot to read and … the bookworms can also connect,” Deng said. They are also considering an online platform to be created for students to share their favourite books and chat all things literature.
For the bookworms looking to participate in the next OWL Book Swap, check out the event on Ooks Life, head to the NAIT Student Life office at E134, or stop by the CAT Glass Box on December 7 from noon to 2 p.m. with a book to swap.
