Welcome Back to Campus Celebration

With the start of the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 22, UTA Libraries has one message to students, "Welcome Back" to campus. To help usher in this new time of learning, building friendships, and memory making, UTA Libraries will be hosting its annual Welcome Back Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 24. 

Part of the Libraries' mission is to connect students to the university community, which helps to ensure their success and cultivate a sense of belonging on campus. The Welcome Back Fair coincides with the university's welcome week, Maverick Stampede.  

Milaun Murry, Experiential Learning Librarian, stated the Welcome Back Fair is a wonderful way to connect students to the library and the resources inside.   

"The Welcome Back event is an annual event that we do each year at the library. It has been a way to introduce students to the library itself," Milaun said. "We will have tables and activities set up for students to learn about our services and to engage with one another. Every individual space within the library has some sort of activity." 

Each floor of the library, except for the fourth and fifth floors, will reflect this year's nautical theme, "Under the Sea," and will have games and activities to match.  

One of the activities students can participate in is a video game called Sub Nautica. Sub Nautica is an underwater survival game that will take place in the library's basement. In the library's studio spaces on the first floor, students can choose from doing a quick video or having their photo taken in front of a background that reflects the event's theme.  

Through their participation in the events and activities, students can earn tickets to redeem for prizes.  

 "For all the activities, students will be able to win tickets, and they can cash those tickets in for prizes on the sixth floor. We do a little prize shop that is set up similar to a fair," Milaun said. "We will also have Ursula's Boutique. The prizes (at Ursula's) will be geared more toward jewelry and fashion.” 

Milaun stated the first 150 students attending the event can go to Ursula’s Boutique to receive a free bracelet.   

 A goal of the event is to show the role the library plays in helping a person in their academic journey. The event also works to build community at the same time.  

 "Often, new students do not realize the significance of the library until a little bit later in their academic career," Milaun said. "So, one of the hopes I had in focusing the Welcome Back Fair around more (library) services is to get them to that understanding a little bit sooner." 

The Welcome Back Fair takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the Central Library. All of the events and activities are free to students. Finger food will also be available as part of the event. For more information about what is happening on campus, go to https://mavorgs.campuslabs.com/engage.