Puppy Party

Students took a breather during finals period at a Cookies with Canines study break outside Hayden Library in December. A second such event was held at—you guessed it—Barker Library. MIT Libraries hosted 10 dogs, ranging from a Cavalier King Charles spaniel to an Irish wolfhound, and volunteers from the nonprofit organization Dog BONES (Dogs Building Opportunities for Nurturing and Emotional Support). Some 450 students attended, consuming 900 cookies and dispensing dog treats to their visitors. “One student started out by rather stiffly saying that MIT is a very stressful place,” says Ellen F. Duranceau, program manager for scholarly publishing and licensing, who helped coördinate the events. “She stayed for over one hour with one particular dog, wrapping her arms softly around him for a hug at the end.” ­Duranceau calls the canine study breaks “simple, but magical.”