Making space for UD student-parents
| Photos by Mike Gates | April 29, 2026
Morris Library’s newly opened Family Study Space offers student-parents a dedicated space to study while caring for their children
For busy University of Delaware student-parents, finding a study space where both schoolwork and caregiving can coexist isn’t as hard as finding the time to study, thanks to the University’s new Family Study Space.
Created by Shelly McCoy, the associate university librarian for public services and space planning at the Library, Museums and Press, the Family Study Space, located in room 118 of Morris Library, is easily noticed by its colorful, attention-grabbing signage outside its doorway.
“Over the past several years, I’ve had informal conversations with students and other members of the UD community about the possibility of a space like this, asking if it was a valuable support — and in varying ways, the answer was always ‘yes,’” McCoy said. “We hope that this designated student-parent space creates an open invitation for them and their children to instantly feel welcomed.”
The child of a student-parent enjoys a book in the corner of Morris Library’s newly opened Family Study Space.
Maisha Carey, a doctoral student in the School of Education and a member of the Morris Library’s leadership team, is also a parent who is looking forward to having access to the Family Study Space.
“I spend a lot of time trying to juggle the attention and energy that I need to give my schoolwork with the attention and energy that I also need to give my child,” Carey said. “It is hard to find a study space that she’s welcomed in, so I feel guilty when I’m studying in spaces without her. Having this space is important to me because I know my daughter is welcomed here, and I know that she will enjoy it.”
Student-parents are not required to reserve the Family Study Space, a decision meant to avoid additional barriers for student parents, McCoy said. Instead, the spacious room accommodates 12 adults with their children on a first-come, first-served basis.
It has several rectangular tables for the adults to study, along with lots of books and a colorful mat for the children to play while their parents study nearby. It also includes a parent-child carrel — a study workstation with an attached play area for small children — that was purchased with donations from UD Library, Museums and Press donors in fall 2024. Student parents will also find a QR code in the space that is linked to a feedback form to help McCoy ensure that the space is meeting their needs.
Pictured at the ribbon cutting for the Family Study Space on Tuesday, April 28, are (left to right) Maisha Carey, a doctoral student in the School of Education and a member of Morris Library’s leadership team; Shelly McCoy, the associate director at the Library, Museums and Press and the manager of its spaces; Carey’s daughter; Subrina Niranjan, UD graduate student and family support specialist; Rena Hallam, interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development; and Heidi Beck, director of New Directions Early Head Start.
The UD Library, Museums and Press is raising money to enhance the space for its I Heart UD Giving Day project and would love the financial support of others who believe in the importance of having inclusive and accessible spaces for all members of our Blue Hen community. McCoy hopes to add more color to the walls and provide engaging activities that children of all ages can enjoy while their parents are studying.
The Family Study Space is a continuation of inclusive designated spaces in Morris Library, which currently includes all-gender bathrooms, an Open Space Group Study Room for LGBTQIA+ students and allies, a Reflection Room that is commonly used for prayer, a lactation room and a restroom on the second floor that has a changing table.
“When students know that UD is parent-friendly and that we have resources to help them be successful, such as the Family Study Space and the CCAMPIS grant, that’s a few less obstacles in the way of them getting their work done,” said Rena Hallam, the interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “I’m excited about this safe and comfortable space that continues to meet the needs of student-parents as they work toward successfully completing their degree.”