Study Break Tuesday

Study Break Tuesday is back on the ground floor of Hillman Library this Tuesday, October 20, from 1 PM to 3 PM. It's a recurring break for students run by Leslie Poljak, and it's open to undergraduates, graduate students, residents, and fellows. You can just stop by for stress balls, coloring pages, gratitude lists, and other self-care activities—the kind of low-stakes things that give you a reason to step away from the books for a bit.

This particular session falls during Banned Books Week, which runs from October 4 to 10, 2026. The week brings awareness to current and historical attempts to challenge and censor books in libraries and schools, and this year's theme is "Let Books Be — Protect Your Freedom to Read." The program includes an interactive display and a banned books guessing game, so if you're already in the library, there's a bit more to look at than just the shelves.

It's a drop-in setup, so you don't have to commit your whole afternoon—you can just swing by between classes or during a gap in your study session. If you're a student at Pitt, it's a good excuse to take a breather and clear your head for a while. You'll find it on the ground floor of Hillman Library, 3960 Forbes Avenue, from 1 PM to 3 PM.