Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Purdue Libraries welcomes thousands of new Boilermakers at BGR 2026

August 28th, 2026

Purdue Libraries welcomed thousands of new students during Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) 2026 last week, connecting with students through activities, giveaways, and opportunities to learn more about the Libraries. The Libraries’ booth outside the Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC) remained busy throughout BGR, with volunteers serving 4,000 snow cones using more than 1,500 pounds of ice. This year’s total represents a 10% increase over last year.

Students share their Purdue stories

More than 700 students participated in video interviews at the Libraries booth, sharing their thoughts, interests, and experiences as they began their Purdue journeys. Each participating student received a Purdue Libraries t-shirt. The first four videos posted to Instagram throughout the week received more than 80,000 views and helped Libraries gain 200 new followers.

Creating a quilt of the Boilermaker experience

Students also contributed to a collaborative project at the Knowledge Lab activity table. More than 200 fabric squares were created, with students designing each square to represent themselves and their Purdue journey.

Patricia Swanson, Knowledge Lab manager, will sew the squares together into a quilt that will be displayed in WALC later this semester. The finished piece will provide a visual representation of the many individual experiences that make up the Purdue community.

Thank you to BGR volunteers

Purdue Libraries thanks all of the employees who volunteered during BGR 2026. Special thanks go to the Libraries Facilities team for their essential behind-the-scenes support, including transporting equipment, setup, and an efficient breakdown at the end of the week.

View photos from the Purdue Libraries BGR booth in the photo gallery.