Post-pandemic, the problem with Indian universities was bringing students back to their former academic selves. The fact of being away from the universities, for long, have led to students developing an indifference towards academic curriculum. Secondly, they have developed a strange problem that goes beyond simple “library anxiety”, as Constance Mellon termed it. I call it “informational anxiety”. This peculiar malady is more about developing a distaste towards the educational informational resources, compounded by the fact of the ubiquitous digital poverty. Thus, being out of touch with the library actually leads to a sort of anxiety, regarding seeking educational information digitally as well as physically, shifting the students’ focus away from academia. The CUHP (Central University of Himachal Pradesh) library team devised a novel strategy to make students discover their love for their studies as an enjoyable pursuit and not as a tiresome obligation. First, we held mind mapping sessions with students on seeking information as regards how library services can be improved. After the completion of the session, we emailed the mind maps along with surveys, to the students, for any improvisations they saw fit. Secondly, we started an experimental makerspace-cum-third space where students could do whatever they felt like writing poetry, painting pictures and so on. Thirdly, we held some library motivational sessions for students relating to healthy lifestyle. Within two months, we saw students developing an interest for coming to campuses, particularly to libraries. In fact, the idea of makerspace-cum-third space and the motivational sessions appealed a lot to them in helping to rediscover the joy of learning by thinking passionately about the social milieu. This, I believe, will be a beneficial approach for libraries in general because learning succeeds when the individual thinks creatively, enthusiastically and in a jargon-free manner about things that appeal to him/her. |