A parent-child room in the library has provided space to study, work and play since the winter semester. It is designed to make it easier for students and researchers to combine everyday university life with childcare.
The childcare centre has spontaneously closed, but you still need to put the finishing touches to your seminar paper? Balancing children and university can be quite tricky at times. Since last winter semester, a separate parent-child room in the library has made things easier. Generously equipped with a work table, a box of books, a games computer and a wooden boat, student parents or academic staff at the university, for example, can work with literature here or meet for group work while their children play, colour or read.
"The aim of our library is to cover the entire working and learning process," explains library staff member Dr Oliver Schoenbeck. In addition to literature research, this also includes the opportunity to work on site at individual workstations or in group rooms or to take a break at the café level. "And it is just as important today that parents can bring their children with them," he emphasises. This was already possible in the past. For example, there are book boxes for children on all levels of the library. And the former group room could also be used by parents with children - but without being specifically set up or reserved for this purpose. Neele Henkenberens from Family Services ultimately gave the impetus to have the room on level 3, behind the philosophy and religious studies collections, redesigned to make it family-friendly: "We think it's important that families are visible in the library, that they have a space for themselves where they can study, research and learn," she says, emphasising the initiative.
The funds for the conversion come from the federal and state government's programme for female professors: the programme covers the costs of the professorships of three newly appointed female academics for five years; universities can either appoint them earlier than planned or invest budget funds earmarked for scheduled academic appointments in measures that promote equal opportunities across the university.
The result is a cosy room in a maritime style: one wall is completely painted with an island sea scene, the wooden boat and a large cuddly toy blue whale add to the atmosphere and invite role-playing games and sea adventures. When selecting the game computer, special attention was paid to ensuring that the games offer educational added value in addition to entertainment - and that children can also play on the device in pairs. Although there are no other children's toys in the room - the maintenance effort would be too great - there is of course no shortage of one thing: books. Whether picture books, non-fiction books or stories to read aloud - the selection is large. And the nearest nappy-changing facilities are not far away either: Family Services has made sure that a nappy-changing table has been installed in the barrier-free WC on level 3, not far from the parent-child room.
