Shelves of glossy, colorful pages featuring styles, prints and patterns were prominently displayed throughout the June F. Mohler Fashion Library. It reached out to students with its annual open house Wednesday, Oct. 9 in Rockwell Hall.

Each fall, the Fashion Library, as well as three other branch libraries on campus, holds an open house providing students with food and friendly staff. The open houses serve as a way to attract students to the libraries and welcome students to the facility.

“We really like to do it as a welcome for our new students,’” said Edith Serkownek, an assistant professor at the Mohler Fashion Library. “And at the fashion school, we particularly like, because we have such a wonderful international student group, to specifically welcome them too.”

Martin Dawber, a fashion illustrator, recognized the Mohler library as one of the top 10 fashion libraries around the world in his book “The Complete Fashion Sketchbook.”

The library is constantly ordering new books, showcasing historical fashion literature and updating their databases in order to provide a complete educational experience for students, Serkownek said.

“Last year we got the “Vogue” database which is like every “Vogue” magazine back to 1892, that’s all available online now,” Serkownek said.

“We’re going to do some technical upgrades in the library,” said Tom Gates, the Architecture and Fashion Libraries Branch Head.

Gates said the presentation lab, located in the back corner of the library, will be refurbished. With technology to aid group presentations like new computers and a media scape screen, which allows students to work together on a single screen, the library is keeping up with student needs.

“We want to emphasize the team spirit,” Gates said. “Although we aren’t really sports oriented.”

“Open houses like this are a chief strategy for engagement,” said Kenneth Burhanna, the Assistant Dean for Engagement and Outreach for the University Libraries. “Hopefully people who haven’t been here before come in, they see the resources, they get a name and a face and they’re shown some hospitality.”

The Fashion Library is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m.

Contact Samantha Tuly at [email protected].