Red Dragons Read initiative brings shareable libraries to SUNY Cortland

09/23/2025

In response to growing student requests for screen-free recreational reading, SUNY Cortland will launch Red Dragons Read, a new campus initiative that brings four shareable bookcases into high-traffic academic buildings.

These freestanding bookcases will be filled with a collection of recreational titles and be placed near student lounges and coffee spots in Moffett Center, Old Main, Bowers Hall, and the Education Building. The effort aims to support student wellness, encourage screen breaks and foster a stronger culture of reading across campus.

The program is expected to begin in late October. Donations from staff, faculty and students are requested to help kick off the program. Requests of books and authors to include can be shared by students online . Once it starts, participants are asked to return a book when they take a new one.

"Students repeatedly told us they want paper books as a way to unplug and recharge," said project coordinator Jenifer Phelan, assistant librarian for SUNY Cortland's Memorial Library. "Red Dragons Read offers that outlet, right here on campus."

Research shows the benefits of recreational reading are significant, Phelan noted, and range from stress relief and better sleep to improved academic outcomes and stronger mental health. The initiative also aligns with SUNY Cortland's commitment to wellness, academic achievement, sustainability, and student engagement. The program could expand to more campus buildings.

Selections will be from all genres including fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, romance, graphic novels, and popular nonfiction, chosen with help from students. Faculty from several departments on campus have also signed up to assist. Phelan said the program is looking for more partners and is collecting gently used recreational reading books in all genres.

Initial campus funding will be used to purchase new books from student-suggested authors and titles. Ongoing book donations from campus community members will help sustain the program . Bookcases already have been donated, and Memorial Library is contributing signage.

For more information or to get involved, please contact Phelan at [email protected] .