Spring 2019 marks 15 years since Kellogg Library opened its doors to students at CSUSM.

A celebratory event was hosted by Library Dean Jennifer Fabbi, librarian service specialist Rosa Conrad and Engagement & Inclusion librarian Toni Olivas. Multiple booths were set up in Kellogg Plaza on Tuesday, April 23 to celebrate the anniversary

“Fifteen is a milestone,” said Olivas. According to Olivas, the celebration was designed to honor “not just the library, but the students.”

Working at Kellogg Library for 13 years, Olivas said that the event was a “great chance to meet with students at a larger level.”

In attendance at the celebration was Kellogg Library’s first dean, Marion Reid. She said that back in 1997, “California voters did not approve [of the plans to build a library on campus],” but thanks to the donations from Keith and Jean Kellogg, the plan to build the library was set in motion.

According to the CSUSM Office of Planning Design and Construction website, the library is named after Keith Kellogg II, the grandson of the cereal company founder. The website also states that the five-story library cost $48 million and is one of the largest in the CSU system.

Reid said it was great to see what the library has become.

Fabbi said it is important to keep the library modern and fresh. Fabbi also said that finding what the campus community needs is one of the main goals for Kellogg Library. “It’s what we do in the building [that matters],” said Fabbi.

Olivas and other staff members gave out cupcakes and bottles of flavored water in front of the library.

Some of the booths that were set up hosted minute to win it games. One booth gave students the opportunity to sign their names on a banner commemorating the library’s 15th anniversary. Another booth, labeled “Cookie Challenge,” gave students a minute to get an animal cracker from their forehead and into their mouth.

Other booths included a selfie station, Book Jenga and an opportunity to play Book Relay, a game in which students tried to walk a certain distance while balancing a book on their head.

Rosa Conrad showcased several library books at her table. “Every month, we have themed books,” she said. According to Conrad, the books at her table were LGBTQIA+ – themed since April is Gaypril.

Students who participated in the gaming booths received tickets that could be entered into a chance to win a private study room for a whole day during the week before finals.

For information about  the services the library provides, visit the CSUSM University Library website at https://biblio.csusm.edu.