Welcoming Students with Children: Building a Family Study Space at the University of Toronto Libraries

Abstract

Student parents are an underserved and often invisible population in higher education. Theirs is a diverse community that faces a variety of barriers to academic success and well-being. Student parents juggle multiple roles and experience a great deal of stress trying to meet all their obligations, which leads to a higher risk of dropping out due to burnout. There are few examples of academic library services for student parents, yet there are many ways that academic libraries can improve the experience of student parents using their spaces and services. This chapter examines the student parent experience and presents a case study on the University of Toronto Libraries’ creation of a family-friendly study space designed to better meet the needs of student parents and to provide a welcoming environment for them and their children.