Rich notes of Cuban jazz waft through the space. The library is not quiet. Not at all.

If you explore research on music listening, you will find a wide range of studies. Some focus on the Mozart Effect. Others delve into relaxation benefits. Certainly music enriches our lives and there is such a wide and wonderful variety.

The library space can be a little intimidating for students.  Will students benefit from music listening in the library? Will it reduce stress, make it more enjoyable to spend time reading and working on class projects?

It is a worthwhile experiment.

1. Plan it: Talk to your staff and plan together how to set it up. Determine how music will be selected. Talk to the music and psychology departments. Tell them about your plan and ask them if they would like to collaborate. Write up a blurb about it to put on your FB page, your twitter feed, your blog. Draft a brief survey.

2. Launch it: Start your social media a few weeks ahead. Place signage in the area where the music will be loudest. Limit the hours of music playing and ask staff to document any feedback.

3. Measure it: Place some music listening survey flyers in the music zone. Create a pop-up survey on your site. At the end of your experiment, post your results.

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