Easy Reading

From read-ins to study sessions, SLAB (or the Student Library Advisory Board) provides a myriad of unique events for students who enjoy reading or just want an excuse to hang out in the library. Through community outreach, careful planning, and professional execution, SLAB aims to create an environment where students feel excited to come in and read! 

“We’ve done the same events for years, things like read-ins and ‘Speed Date a Book’ are easy go-tos. One thing we’ve done to make it more interesting is try to theme events around current trends; when bedazzling got super popular, we held a book bedazzling event,” stated SLAB co-president Mal Memon. 

Since SLAB has done the same events for years, many students are aware of the club and the opportunities it offers. Despite this, SLAB is continually attempting to increase attendance at these events. 

“Better turnout is one of our biggest goals,” claimed Memon. “Our events usually have free snacks, and we give out a lot of free books at them, which helps to draw people in.”

Memon isn’t the only one who wants to improve turnout– SLAB president Eva Richling is also keen on improving attendance at the events. 

“Snacks and free books are definitely some of our biggest draws, but we also try to make every event unique so that students want to come; for example, at our read-ins, we’ll usually try to do something fun like a book swap or a book-related craft,” stated Richling. 

None of these events would be possible, however, without the help and planning of all the students who are a part of SLAB. Memon encourages students to check out the club, even if it’s not something they would normally think to join. 

“SLAB is fairly low commitment– events are easy to put on, so there’s not a ton of need to get complicated with committees and planning like other clubs,” claimed Memon. “It’s also not one of those clubs where there’s a preestablished friend group, which helps newer kids feel like a part of the group. When we say SLAB is easy to join, we mean it!” 

Richling agrees that SLAB is a great club for students to try out– besides the fact that it’s low-stress, it also comes with a lot of valuable (and fun!) experiences. 

“My experience with SLAB has been wonderful. Ms. Davis, our sponsor, is great at what she does and helps out a ton. All of our student participants are fantastic too, and very knowledgeable about books,” Richling asserted. “If you ever need a recommendation on what to read, a SLAB member is your best bet!”