Safe Space

Students looking for a new place to gather and build community have a new place to do so at the UTA Central Library. The Safe Space Lounge is now open on the third floor. 

Milaun Murry, Experiential Learning librarian, stated that the lounge provides a place for everyone to come together. Anyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, background or lifestyle, can feel welcome in the lounge. 

"The space itself is not reservable as a study room, but it is reservable by student organizations and other approved groups for meetings or programs," Milaun said. "So, say, for instance, somebody wants to bring a speaker to talk to their group about a particular topic; they would be able to use the safe space lounge in order to have those types of important conversations with the library support." 

Milaun stated that the idea to bring the Safe Space Lounge to the UTA Central Library was a student lead initiative that felt the need to bring this resource to campus. 

The lounge is decorated with couches and plants to provide a relaxing atmosphere and also features a conference table. 

There will be a rotating exhibit every month in the lounge that relates to the culture or social month that UTA Libraries is celebrating. The Black History Month exhibit is currently being set up within that space. This exhibit will include historical information about UTA and the Black queer community. 

"One of the walls is dedicated specifically to UTA Libraries Special Collections. I have images I'm going to put up there that I pulled from Special Collections," Milaun said. "One is a picture of the first African American student body president. One is of the first African Americans to graduate from UT Arlington. So, we pulled some significant images that will be portrayed on that wall." 

Milaun stated that they are also starting a monthly book recommendation list associated with each cultural month. One of the lists will be in the Safe Space Lounge, and the other copies will be at each service desk in the Central Library. The list will include a QE code that will take them directly to the libraries' website, where they can download the book or find the item inside the building. 

"The space does have like just basic university resources as well. We have all the resources for the LGBTQ+ office from the Center of Cultural Change and Social Justice and resources from Title 4 and the RSVP office in the lounge," Milaun said. "Then we also have a custom map designed by our studio students that displays where all the gender-neutral bathrooms are located and all the prayer lounges. We try to make the lounge a one-stop relaxing space to be able to get anything that you need related to diversity, equality, and Inclusion within the library." 

The Safe Space Lounge is next to the Rainbow Lounge, Room 318, on the third floor at the UTA Central Library. Any student organization who wants to use the lounge can email Milaun at milaun.murry@uta.edu to reserve it.