Zombie Invasion Aimed at Helping Students Navigate Perry Library

Reference librarian Elizabeth Hogue, right, joins some of her new, less than lively friends from the Student Government Association Wednesday evening during the zombie invasion in Perry Library. Photo by Steve Daniel

Zombies invaded the Perry Library Learning Commons the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 23, as part of a promotion to help orient undergraduates to the library offerings. Students stepped into the shoes of a zombie, survivor or zombie hunter to learn how to navigate the twists and turns of research in order to stay alive.

Students could participate in one of three tracks - zombie, zombie hunter or survivor - and go from station to station completing particular tasks. The first person in each track to finish the course won a prize.

"The reference department planned and organized this event with the help of Classroom Central and various student organizations as part of our undergraduate workshop program," said reference librarian Elizabeth Hogue. "Everyone was very excited and motivated to make this event a successful one."

The Student Government Association, Starving Artists, Ghost Hunters and ODU Out provided volunteers for the event. There was also representation from the Health Promotion Office, Student Health Center and Classroom Central.

The first-place prize for each track was $20 added to a student's Monarch Account. Other activities for the evening include zombie cornhole, and the movie "Night of the Living Dead" ran throughout the event. The Starving Artists provided makeup for $1.

Participating students were also invited to visit the zombie exhibit of books and DVDs that the library owns in the open exhibit shelves in the staircase leading up to the second floor. There will also be a LibGuide devoted to zombie resources, which will be available on the library website shortly, Hogue said.