Lessons from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

I fondly remember watching Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood when I was a child. Mr. Rogers’ calm voice, warmth, and friendliness emanated from the screen, transporting me to a different world. For several generations of children, he demonstrated how to feel emotions and be neighborly, curious, and kind.  

Feelings  

Recognizing and effectively managing your feelings enables you to be more relaxed and foster good relationships. Especially during times of great uncertainty and change, it helps  to pause and notice your feelings, focus on what is within your control, and be empathetic. Mr. Rogers normalized feeling your emotions and encouraged viewers to talk to someone about their feelings. At the Park Library, you can find quiet spaces to decompress or active spaces to connect with others. The Quality of Life rooms, Mary Dow Reading Room, and individual study rooms are conducive to individual, quiet reflection. You can connect with friends in many spaces throughout the building, including the library café, the Copeland Suite, and 3 East.   

Neighbors 

Mr. Rogers’ theme song, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, encourages listeners to reach out their hand in friendship toward the people around them. One of CMU’s values is compassion, which means being empathetic and supportive of others. A retired CMU employee often encouraged others to have their “heads up, hands out, and hearts open” as they walk around campus. At the CMU Libraries, our aim is to provide welcoming spaces and services where all students, faculty, and staff can learn, get support, and accomplish their goals. Within the Park Library, students can get help from librarians in person or online and from academic support centers. These services create a supportive “neighborhood” throughout the building.  

Curiosity 

People are innately curious. Curiosity helps you gather and filter sensory data to learn and test out new ideas. In an episode called, Curiosity is Cancelled, Mr. Rogers compared growing a vegetable garden to growing ideas in your mind. During the episode, King Friday decided to “cancel all curiosity.” I cannot imagine not being curious! Mr. Rogers concludes the episode with these lyrics, “You will have things you’ll want to talk about. I will, too.” Libraries are a great place to explore ideas and satisfy your curiosity. We hope that the library’s collections and spaces spark your interests and foster reflection, discussion, and learning.  

Kindness 

According to Mr. Rogers, “People, animals, and plants grow through kindness.” You can show kindness to others by smiling, listening, caring, acknowledging, and showing appreciation. Kindness strengthens relationships and fosters creativity. Students and researchers are on an intense learning journey. Being kind to yourselves is just as important as giving and receiving kindness from others. CMU Libraries’ employees live out our values of being accessible and welcoming by providing services and resources supporting learners and researchers. We hope you experience a friendly smile and a helping hand the next time you visit the library.   

Learn more about Mr. Rogers: