On Monday, Oct. 27, the library hosted students and staff to gather around for Spooky Storytelling, an evening of eerie tales, real-life accounts and community connection. The Student Library Advisory Board and librarians organized the event. Students were invited to share their stories while enjoying homemade treats by the library staff.

The library’s usual quietness transformed into a space filled with suspense as students sat in a circle around a stack of books, taking turns sharing stories from poems to real-life encounters.

Junior Sofia Morales, who works on the library’s staff and is one of the event’s storytellers and key organizers, said she appreciated having a space where spooky stories were welcomed and told.

“I thought it was really great to see an event designed for spooky stories and real-life events,” Morales said. “It’s kind of an awkward topic to [be] like, ‘Oh my gosh, do you want to hear a scary story?’ So having a little moment like this where you can express something that’s happened to you is really cool.”

Her story, based on a real-life experience, captured the audience’s attention. But Morales said that the true goal of the event was beyond the scares.

“I hope that people take away the fact that the library and the events we put together are a community. You’re meant to build relationships, make friends and share your truth,” Morales said.

Junior Benji Ludwig, a library staff member who also helped organize the event, said that the evening was a celebration of community and teamwork.

“We just wanted to come and experience the fruits of our labor and get to know some of the community,” Ludwig said. “Having so many people in one space being able to share stories and being able to talk to each other honestly, I think was great.”

The event’s inspiration came from librarian Molly Wallner and the Student Library Advisory Board, who wanted to create a fun story-related event that could bring students together.

“We were thinking of some fun ways that we can bring people together over books, stories, that kind of thing, and it kind of just fell into place, thinking about Halloween,” Wallner said.

Wallner said that she hoped students would view the library as more than simply a place to study after having this event.

“It’s a place for community and gathering,” Wallner said. “Storytelling is an oral tradition that I feel like it’s our responsibility to uphold. I think we saw that today with so many stories that were passed down or from different heritages or cultures.”