Life at Washington and Lee University moves quickly. The constant stream of meetings, classes, emails, deadlines, and assignments, along with the steady pull of our devices’ notifications and feeds, have many of us—students, faculty, and staff alike—existing in an intellectually splintered state.
This initiative radically responds to our frayed concentration by creating a space and time for the wider community to unplug and dive into reading together across the campus. To support this intentional pause, dedicated spaces have been reserved across campus, and refreshments will be offered from 10 am – 1 pm on Friday, April 3.
We invite any interested faculty, staff, and students to join a community of readers who refuse the fast flow of information in favor of the slower rhythms of thinking and reflecting. We encourage you to leave your distracting devices behind, grab a book, article, essay, or any long text in which you’d love to get lost.
Print or electronic readers, as well as technology needed for accessibility, count towards the goal, which is to allow our brains to breathe without distraction. If you need help finding something to read, browse the book displays on Leyburn Library’s main floor or the University Library’s Curated Collections for fiction and nonfiction chosen by current and former students.
The spirit of these spaces is to rediscover the focus and shared presence that deep reading makes possible. We invite you to slip away from email, social media, and other distractions to enjoy reading in community with friends and colleagues on campus.
Participating Locations on Friday, April 3 (10 am – 1 pm)
Burtynsky Exhibition – Reeves Museum of Ceramics (through April 18)
The exhibition “Taking Place” by Edward Burtynsky offers a visually striking environment for reflective reading. Surrounded by Burtynsky’s monumental aerial photographs of landscapes transformed by human industry, readers are invited to slow down and spend time with essays, environmental writing, or poetry that explores our relationship to land, labor, and technology.
Gallery spaces naturally encourage quiet attention and slow looking, making the museum an ideal setting for deep reading followed by reflective conversation with others in the room. The museum’s collections span ceramics and art from cultures across the globe, advancing learning through direct engagement with works of art.
Contact: Jessica Wager
Email: wagerj@wlu.edu
Takadiwa Exhibition – Watson Galleries (through May 31)
The exhibition by Zimbabwean artist Moffat Takadiwa provides another compelling setting for reflective engagement. Takadiwa’s sculptural works—created from reclaimed materials such as bottle caps and keyboard keys—invite reflection on consumption, labor, and global exchange.
Readers might bring essays, short stories, or criticism that explore themes of sustainability, material culture, or global systems. The gallery environment encourages visitors to alternate between quiet reading, attentive looking, and small-group conversation, allowing the artworks and texts to deepen one another.
Contact: Jessica Wager
Email: wagerj@wlu.edu
Mason Taylor New Room – Payne Hall
Located in the English Department’s home in Payne Hall, the Mason Taylor New Room offers a comfortable and welcoming space ideal for small reading circles. With chairs arranged for conversation, this room is well suited to readers who want to share passages, reflections, or questions emerging from their texts. Tea may be available to support a relaxed, reflective atmosphere.
Contact: Holly Pickett
Email: picketth@wlu.edu
Reading Tables in the Libraries and the Harte Center
Leyburn Library
Telford Science Library
Law School Library in Lewis Hall
Harte Center for Teaching and Learning
The university’s libraries provide a range of environments for slow reading. The main floors of Leyburn and Telford libraries offer comfortable seating and a lively study atmosphere, while quieter floors allow readers to settle into deeper focus. Located in Lewis Hall, the Washington and Lee Law Library offers one of the most focused reading environments on campus. With spacious reading rooms, long study tables, and abundant natural light, the library naturally encourages sustained attention and quiet engagement with texts.
For the Read-In, participants are invited to bring books, essays, or articles and settle into the calm atmosphere of the main reading spaces. Readers can also browse the book displays on Leyburn Library’s main floor or the University Library’s Curated Collections, for fiction and nonfiction chosen by current and former students.
Contact: K.T. Vaughan or JT Torres
Email: kvaughan@wlu.edu; JTorres@wlu.edu
First Floor Living Room – Hopkins House
The Hopkins House living room is a welcoming, house-style campus building that hosts several collaborative programs at Washington and Lee University, including the Office of Community-Based Learning and spaces connected to the university’s entrepreneurship initiatives.
Contact: Sascha Goluboff
Email: GoluboffS@wlu.edu
Commons 216 – Elrod Commons
Accessible via the spiral staircase or elevator in Elrod Commons, Commons 216 offers a quiet, comfortable room with tables, chairs, and couches. This space works well for readers who want a relaxed environment to settle into a book while remaining connected to the energy of the student center.
Contact: Zachary Funkhouser
Email: zfunkhouser@wlu.edu
Gallery Space – Washington Hall
The gallery space in Washington Hall can serve as a tech-free reading environment to gather around texts of shared interest. By intentionally setting aside phones and laptops, readers can immerse themselves in printed texts and enjoy the rare experience of sustained focus.
Contact: Matt Davis
Email: historymuseum@wlu.edu
Mattingly House – Living Room
The living room in Mattingly House offers a comfortable, home-like setting that invites readers to slow down and settle into a good book. With soft seating and a relaxed atmosphere, the space offers a calm, device-free environment. The space supports both individual reading and occasional conversation, allowing readers to share passages or reflections that stand out.
Contact: Melissa Kerin
Email: kerinm@wlu.edu
Let Us Know You’re Coming
Please drop us a message here letting us know if you intend to read with us on April 3rd. You can also tell us what you hope to read or ended up reading so we can recommend it to others!
