“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought.” - Albert Einstein
Encouraging creativity within our university students is such an important part of library mission. We seek to inspire students to share their voice and creativity with others. “The academic library is traditionally a place for students to do research, to study, and, ultimately, to learn. However, academic libraries can also strive to provide spaces that foster creativity and innovation” (Bieraugel & Neill, 2017). Libraries are fantastic homes for collaborative and creative work. The atmosphere is casual and all students are welcome, regardless of their major.
Creativity is an important skill, regardless of one’s field of study. A quick search of “why creativity is important to the workforce” produces thousands of answers from HR professionals and career coaches. It is a skill that is highly desired in potential employees and it is one that all undergrads – even those outside of the arts and humanities – should seek to grow as a strength.
The benefits of creative thinking are vast, especially in today’s rapidly evolving tech world. Best Practice Consulting Firm has narrowed down the top three benefits that any employer receives from having creative employees (Duverge, 2015):
1. Better teamwork and team bonding.
2. Better ability to attract and retain employees.
3. Increased problem solving.
Creativity can lead to greater collaboration among employees, even those in different departments. It can also lead to greater productivity (Duverge, 2015).
“Creativity is a skill that can be taught, practiced and developed. The world needs creative thinkers in all disciplines; people who can tackle complex challenges and develop innovative solutions. Yet our educational system focuses on teaching students “convergent thinking” (Klawe, 2017). This means many students arrive at college without learning divergent thinking. This keeps their problem-solving skills linear and “inside” the box.
Perhaps creativity’s greatest asset, however, is self-expression. Creating, in any medium, gives the creator voice. Creative expression is a great release of stress and even allows for mental and emotional healing (Klammer). It can even build self-confidence.
Over the years, our annual poetry reading has become a staple on our calendar of events. The reading is part of our National Library Week celebration since NLW takes place during National Poetry Month. Since taking over marketing and outreach for the library, I have looked for ways to enhance this experience for our students.
In Spring 2019, we decided to add short works of prose into the mix. Broadening the scope allows for more creative writers to participate. Spring 2020 saw the invasion of the Corona Virus. Rather than skip the reading, however, we moved it online and hosted it on Facebook Live. This afforded students’ family and friends to watch along with other CCU community members, something that has never happened before.
The biggest influence on this student experience, however, is the close working partnership with other departments, colleges, and groups. While the library hosts the reading, it would not be possible without faculty in our English Department. They encourage students to submit their work from their year and some even add it to their syllabus.
Spring 2020 was supposed to see our partnership grow to include the Sigma Tau Delta National English Honor Society. While members still participated, due to quarantine, we were unable to involve them as much as we would have liked. We would love to see students take ownership of the reading and feel like they have a real vested interest. It is also good to see students encouraging other students to participate in such events.
References
Bieraugel, M., & Neill, S. (2017). Ascending Bloom’s Pyramid: Fostering Student Creativity and Innovation in Academic Library Spaces. College & Research Libraries, 78(1), 35. doi:https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.78.1.35
Daly, S.R.; Mosyjowski, E.A.; Oprea, S.L.; Huant-Saad, A.; & Seifert, C.M. (December 2016). College Students’ Views of Creative Process Instruction Across Disciplines. Thinking Skills and Creativity, vol. 22. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871187116300591.
Duverge, Gabe. (31 December 2015). The Manager’s Guide to Fostering Creativity in the Workplace. Business Administration and Management. Touro University Worldwide. Retrieved from https://www.tuw.edu/business/creativity-in-the-workplace/.
Klammer, Shelley. (N.D.) The Six Stages of Creative Self-Expression. Intuitive Creativity. Retrieved from https://intuitivecreativity.typepad.com/expressiveartinspirations/2016/02/the-six-stages-of-creative-self-expression.html.
Klawe, Maria. (4 May 2017). Teaching Creativity Is A Necessary Part Of Undergraduate Education. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaklawe/2017/05/04/teaching-creativity-is-a-necessary-part-of-undergraduate-education/#325f8c332cab.
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