More than 60 visitors joined the Libraries Student Advisory Council (LSAC) at their end-of-year showcase on Wednesday, April 22. “Journey to This Spot: Mapping Everyday Life at CMU” celebrated the ways maps and other depictions of spaces tell stories of where people gather, what they do, and how they live, inviting the CMU community to trace paths from dorms to class, see how their peers use spaces in different ways, and see how time of day and changing seasons affect familiar views.
Throughout the academic year, LSAC worked with Arts and Humanities Librarian Lynn Kawaratani, who oversees the Architecture Archives. They explored the contents of the archive, along with other resources available online and around the city, and also learned Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and storymapping, as well as other tools.
From designing activities and interacting with guests to displaying their work through a multi-media mapping project, LSAC members took the lead at the end-of-year event. Attendees had a chance to map their own memories at CMU, pinning favorite locations on a map of campus and using materials from the Libraries’ zine cart to plot their own path from a past location or memory to the present day.
Applications for the 2026-2027 LSAC cohort will open in the fall. Follow the Libraries on Instagram and Bluesky to stay in the loop about LSAC and other opportunities for students to get involved.