You are an academic library: do you have an interfaith meditation room?
December 8, 2015 7:39 AM Subscribe
We are soon to complete an extensive construction and renovation project, adding much needed student use space to our library. Although there is currently a meditation room in our student commons building, we've been asked to consider setting aside space for an interfaith meditation room in the library as well. If you have such a service, I've got questions for you (as one does).
* If you do have a meditation room, to your knowledge, is it the only one on campus?
* Is the room designated as an interfaith room, prayer room, or something else (AKA, what do you call it?)?
* Were there any challenges in navigating the establishment of an interfaith room at your library?
* How is it outfitted? Furniture, lights, printed materials?
* Do you make any efforts to control access to the space to ensure it is used for its intended purpose? If so, how?
*Have you developed any way to track stats on the room's use?
thanks!
* If you do have a meditation room, to your knowledge, is it the only one on campus?
* Is the room designated as an interfaith room, prayer room, or something else (AKA, what do you call it?)?
* Were there any challenges in navigating the establishment of an interfaith room at your library?
* How is it outfitted? Furniture, lights, printed materials?
* Do you make any efforts to control access to the space to ensure it is used for its intended purpose? If so, how?
*Have you developed any way to track stats on the room's use?
thanks!
My campus has a mindfulness room, mostly used for meditation, although it also has a quiet reading corner with some mindfulness/wellness/meditation type books, and some plants, and such. I really appreciate that designation; as an atheist, I would not feel welcomed to using an "interfaith" or "prayer" room, but would and do use a mindfulness or meditation room. Depending on your true intentions for the room, it may be useful to consider whether "interfaith" is excluding a group of people who you would like to make the space available to.
posted by Stacey at 8:38 AM on December 8, 2015 [10 favorites]
posted by Stacey at 8:38 AM on December 8, 2015 [10 favorites]
If it is intended to be used for prayers you may want to make sure a nearby bathroom or other room has a foot washing station available.
It's much easier to wash one's feet in these low sinks than typical Western sinks, and if people are using typical sinks for feet washing it can lead to conflict.
Lots of companies are installing these features now so your contractor should have no problem setting this up.
posted by littlewater at 8:52 AM on December 8, 2015 [9 favorites]
It's much easier to wash one's feet in these low sinks than typical Western sinks, and if people are using typical sinks for feet washing it can lead to conflict.
Lots of companies are installing these features now so your contractor should have no problem setting this up.
posted by littlewater at 8:52 AM on December 8, 2015 [9 favorites]
I previously worked in an private academic library with a growing international population - mainly from Saudi Arabia. Per an administration request, an abandoned classroom in the basement was converted to an "interfaith prayer room."
There was also a tiny chapel attached to the library that was used for religious purposes or meditation - but it was really only big enough for a handful of students at a time. We were told the prayer room would also be open to students of all or no faith, but that didn't really happen. It was painted, carpeted, and they put up some nice drapes. Within a day, student made signs were put up all over the campus in Arabic and English calling it a Mosque.
When it first opened, male students would use the room to pray, and female students started praying right in the main entrance of the library. I guess no one realized it was important to have separation in the room. Once a divider was added, everyone began using it.
There was an issue where students brought speakers in and started playing the call to prayer very loudly. It took many requests to get them to turn it down enough that it wasn't heard throughout the quiet study spaces.
The library did not collect stats while I was there - everyone was a little uncomfortable with that idea. Usage was sort of self-policed by the students, they spent a lot of time hanging out in there between prayers and it really became more of a community space.
It was definitely worthwhile for the students who used the room. One student told me he was planning on transferring at the end of the semester, but having access to the mosque changed his mind.
While the students I interacted with were always incredibly welcoming and nice to me, I felt uncomfortable going down there - like I was trampling on a private space.
I felt like all of these issues could have been avoided if the administration had been upfront in saying the room would be used as a mosque and then opened a dialogue with the Muslim students on what they would need and what was expected.
On preview, the bathroom issue was also a problem. Lots of complaints about soaked floors, long lines, etc.
posted by galvanized unicorn at 9:01 AM on December 8, 2015 [4 favorites]
There was also a tiny chapel attached to the library that was used for religious purposes or meditation - but it was really only big enough for a handful of students at a time. We were told the prayer room would also be open to students of all or no faith, but that didn't really happen. It was painted, carpeted, and they put up some nice drapes. Within a day, student made signs were put up all over the campus in Arabic and English calling it a Mosque.
When it first opened, male students would use the room to pray, and female students started praying right in the main entrance of the library. I guess no one realized it was important to have separation in the room. Once a divider was added, everyone began using it.
There was an issue where students brought speakers in and started playing the call to prayer very loudly. It took many requests to get them to turn it down enough that it wasn't heard throughout the quiet study spaces.
The library did not collect stats while I was there - everyone was a little uncomfortable with that idea. Usage was sort of self-policed by the students, they spent a lot of time hanging out in there between prayers and it really became more of a community space.
It was definitely worthwhile for the students who used the room. One student told me he was planning on transferring at the end of the semester, but having access to the mosque changed his mind.
While the students I interacted with were always incredibly welcoming and nice to me, I felt uncomfortable going down there - like I was trampling on a private space.
I felt like all of these issues could have been avoided if the administration had been upfront in saying the room would be used as a mosque and then opened a dialogue with the Muslim students on what they would need and what was expected.
On preview, the bathroom issue was also a problem. Lots of complaints about soaked floors, long lines, etc.
posted by galvanized unicorn at 9:01 AM on December 8, 2015 [4 favorites]
How are you going to make sure it's not just used for naps?
I'm pretty sure whomever wrote this comment had never been in an academic library before.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 9:17 AM on December 8, 2015 [10 favorites]
I'm pretty sure whomever wrote this comment had never been in an academic library before.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 9:17 AM on December 8, 2015 [10 favorites]
We had a room like this when I worked at a big corporation; I think it was called interfaith prayer and meditation space. It was a small room with otherwise not very usable space (no windows), and I think it just had a few folding chairs, carpeting, and some items that I believe were provided by the employees who used it regularly (e.g. a small cushion, bell, etc). There was no attendant or monitoring of the room specifically -- you'd just walk in, quietly, and use it as needed. It had regular office lights. I think there was a sign on the door that just said that people inside were using it for quiet contemplation so to be respectful when walking by or going in. I can't remember it ever causing a problem.
posted by telegraph at 10:27 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by telegraph at 10:27 AM on December 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
We had one at my last academic library, although I suspect it was subsumed into the Student Activity Center during the most recent renovation.
The room was originally a small conference room that had its table, chairs, and AV materials removed. We still had to roust it of other students using it as a defacto hangout/study space when students came to use it for its intended purpose. One of my staff eventually sicc'd the student paper on the staff who were abusing the room and collective shame seemed to fix the problem by the time I left.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:43 AM on December 8, 2015
The room was originally a small conference room that had its table, chairs, and AV materials removed. We still had to roust it of other students using it as a defacto hangout/study space when students came to use it for its intended purpose. One of my staff eventually sicc'd the student paper on the staff who were abusing the room and collective shame seemed to fix the problem by the time I left.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:43 AM on December 8, 2015
Hi, I'm at an R1 university. Ours is located in our student community center, but it's not enough for the needs of our Muslim student population. They end up having to go to the two gender neutral bathrooms in our center in order to do wudu. This is an issue, because our campus also does not have enough gender neutral bathrooms, which highlights the lack of accomodations for both those who identify as Muslim, and as trans and queer people who need to use those spaces to stay safe.
It's called the meditation room, but I've talked with other classmates and how other people want to use it for meditation/napping, but they don't want to intrude on the fact that people need to do their daily prayers. I do see people meditating and using it for quiet purposes, but it's always awkward for students if they decide to leave because they want to give people privacy for doing prayers. I think students are really conscientious, but there needs to be thorough accomodations for needs. The other issue is that the room is completely visible to the outside, with glass paneling for two parts of the wall, so there is no privacy. There are flat, armless low couches, but no rugs or soft material for those doing prayers or sitting. Low, soft, warm lighting is very pleasant.
Overall, we do not have enough prayer rooms, meditation rooms, or napping spaces on campus. I think it would be awesome if it could be at least two to three rooms, for each of these purposes. Controlling access to spaces will highlight that there is not enough accomodations. I would also recommend contacting local campus groups, because there are student advocates who would be able to give some amazing opinions and involvement for how to do the renovation process.
posted by yueliang at 11:06 AM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's called the meditation room, but I've talked with other classmates and how other people want to use it for meditation/napping, but they don't want to intrude on the fact that people need to do their daily prayers. I do see people meditating and using it for quiet purposes, but it's always awkward for students if they decide to leave because they want to give people privacy for doing prayers. I think students are really conscientious, but there needs to be thorough accomodations for needs. The other issue is that the room is completely visible to the outside, with glass paneling for two parts of the wall, so there is no privacy. There are flat, armless low couches, but no rugs or soft material for those doing prayers or sitting. Low, soft, warm lighting is very pleasant.
Overall, we do not have enough prayer rooms, meditation rooms, or napping spaces on campus. I think it would be awesome if it could be at least two to three rooms, for each of these purposes. Controlling access to spaces will highlight that there is not enough accomodations. I would also recommend contacting local campus groups, because there are student advocates who would be able to give some amazing opinions and involvement for how to do the renovation process.
posted by yueliang at 11:06 AM on December 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for all the great comments, suggestions, warnings, and ideas.
posted by crepeMyrtle at 1:57 PM on December 8, 2015
posted by crepeMyrtle at 1:57 PM on December 8, 2015
So, my old university had a dedicated interfaith center that was its own building. It had a dedicated prayer and meditation room that was used by pretty much anyone who wanted to, when it was empty. Various faiths' religious accoutrements were stored in a room next door, and there wasn't really ever any problem with students messing with some other faith's stuff.
My current university has a dedicated interfaith meditation room in the hospital. There are also several non-religious drop-in meditation spots on campus. For sleeping, we have dedicated nap spaces in one of the libraries, and a nap map, so most students use those for napping rather than go down to the hospital's meditation room.
Page 70 of this PDF about spirituality on campus has a list of other campuses with dedicated interfaith meditation rooms.
posted by culfinglin at 4:25 PM on December 8, 2015
My current university has a dedicated interfaith meditation room in the hospital. There are also several non-religious drop-in meditation spots on campus. For sleeping, we have dedicated nap spaces in one of the libraries, and a nap map, so most students use those for napping rather than go down to the hospital's meditation room.
Page 70 of this PDF about spirituality on campus has a list of other campuses with dedicated interfaith meditation rooms.
posted by culfinglin at 4:25 PM on December 8, 2015
The school I did my Masters in had an interfaith meditation room, mostly because the school itself was founded by yogis and thus the room had a more Buddhist/Zen/hippie esque bent to it. It was in this space between the cafeteria and the main auditorium - it's a small school.
You could conceivably use the room for naps, though there used to be a different chill-out space next to the library that people used for that purpose before it got converted to a classroom (shame, because that room had the comfiest couch in the world) - the meditation room itself is pretty small. We didn't really have that many Muslim students so I don't know how much it got used for Muslim prayer purposes. Mostly people went there to meditate or chill out.
posted by divabat at 8:08 PM on December 8, 2015
You could conceivably use the room for naps, though there used to be a different chill-out space next to the library that people used for that purpose before it got converted to a classroom (shame, because that room had the comfiest couch in the world) - the meditation room itself is pretty small. We didn't really have that many Muslim students so I don't know how much it got used for Muslim prayer purposes. Mostly people went there to meditate or chill out.
posted by divabat at 8:08 PM on December 8, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
How are you going to make sure it's not just used for naps?
On a more serious note, this would seem to raise all kinds of issues. Who gets to define meditation? Who determines how loud, silent, mobile, or immobile anyone should be when meditating? Who gets to define what qualifies as a faith?
I was at a conference at Rutgers many years ago and there was a big nap room. It was staffed by a student worker at a desk just inside the door of the room, lights were dim but not so dim that the student worker couldn't see everybody. If a meditation room were staffed in a similar way could there be some issues of religious freedom, someone observing a person expressing their religion?
posted by mareli at 8:11 AM on December 8, 2015