Lovefest 2026

Lovefest 2026

April 13 - 17, 2026

An academic year of celebration for the UNL Libraries and their five major anniversaries came to a close during LoveFest – with an activity every day of the week. 

April 13-17: Ping Pong
April 13: Flyover Satellite Concert and Reception
April 14: Retro Games & Coffee
April 15: Visiting Scholar: AI Talk
April 16: AI and Ice Cream
April 17: Lovefest on the Lawn & Primal Scream 

Look back on the year of celebrations: Pages to Paths: A Celebration of Our Libraries 

Lovefest comic style design of the cupola

Ping Pong Like It's 1942!

April 13 - 17, 2026

A ping-pong table was setup for anyone to use during the entire week.

Why Ping Pong? 

From 1942-45 during World War II, newly built Love Library served as a barracks for the Army Specialized Training Program. Shown here are ASTP members playing pool and ping-pong in the areas that became the circulation desk (ASKus service desks today). 

Learn more about the history of Libraries.

  • cadets playing ping pong
    Army Specialized Training Program cadets playing pool in Love Library
    Photo courtesy of Archives & Special Collections
  • Two people play table tennis in a lounge, with others seated and watching in the background.
    Two students playing ping pong in Love Library
  • Two people play table tennis in a brightly lit lounge area with chairs and tables in the background.
    Dean Lorang and Dept. Chair Jewell display their ping pong skills
  • Four people playing ping pong in a brightly lit indoor space with posters on the walls.
    A doubles ping pong match

Flyover Satellite Concert and Reception

April 13, 2026

Students from the Glenn Korff School of Music performed new compositions inspired by their experience and interaction with materials from the Archives & Special Collections. 

Read the Nebraska Today story

Retro Games & Coffee

April 14, 2026

Libraries provided classic consoles and laptops for emulating retro games. Students stopped by to play games like Legend of Zelda, LSD: Dream Emulator, Dr. Mario and Donkey Konga. 

Staff were present to demonstrate how to back up cartridge games and save files to preserve them and provided coffee and cookies to keep a steady flow of caffeine and sugar for maintaining that competitive edge.

students playing retro games

Toward an AI Commons for Libraries: Where We Are and Where We Might Go from Here

  • Ben Lee speaking to seated attendees in a classroom with a blue wall and sunset artwork.
    Ben Lee meets with Libraries staff and faculty.
  • A conference room with attendees seated at tables in discussion, colorful panels on the back wall.
    Libraries staff and faculty attending Ben Lee's session.
  • Presentation in a classroom, speaker standing by a podium, slide titled "An Outline" displayed on screen.
    Presentation during public forum
  • Audience seated in a lecture hall with red and black chairs under bright ceiling lights.
    Attendees of public forum
  • Audience members seated in a lecture hall, a woman in the front holds a microphone speaking.
    Question and answer session during public forum

April 15, 2026

Benjamin Charles Germain Lee, an Assistant Professor in the Information School at the University of Washington and founder of the Lab for Computing Cultural Heritage, was the UNL Libraries 2026 Visiting Scholar. He presented on the state of the artificial intelligence field with a focus on efforts to apply AI to library collections.

AI and Ice Cream

April 16, 2026

Library staff and faculty facilitated a conversation and served Dairy Store ice cream during a judgment-free discussion about how the UNL community is using AI, sharing what excited them, what concerned them, and where they thought AI was headed. 

  • Group seated in a circle on red chairs in a modern lounge, engaged in a discussion.
    Group meeting to discuss AI
  • A group of people seated in a casual lounge, engaged in conversation.
    Students discussing AI use in a group meeting
  • A group of people seated in a circle in a modern lounge area, engaging in discussion.
    Faculty and staff meet with students to discuss AI usage

Lovefest On the Lawn & Primal Scream

April 17, 2026

Students, staff and faculty joined in on the fun with LoveFest on the lawn. 

Participants enjoyed a free charcuterie-style boxed lunch on blankets provided, played lawn games with friends, and settled down with something to read from the books provided by Libraries. 

Students and staff wrapped up the year-long celebration by letting off some end-of-semester-steam with a Primal Scream.

ASKus Chat - all pages