By Elise Ong, March 10, 2026
The University Library outreach committee is looking for community-made artwork to be used as new coloring pages for those who utilize the Bronco Family Space found on the third floor in Building 15.
According to Sally Romero, education librarian in charge of the area, the Bronco Family Space was created in 2022 with students and the parenting community in mind. The area has a variety of entertainment options available, including iPads that can be checked out, story time kits, books, toys, a play area and the coloring pages.
Since the Bronco Family Space opened, the same four coloring page designs have been recycled repeatedly. Any children who visit regularly no longer use them, according to Trishna Monzalvo, a worker in the Bronco Family Space.
“It’s kind of rare when we find some colored pages,” Monzalvo said. “I really hope that getting new designs will help with that, (and) kids (will) want to color more.”
In hopes of finding new material for the space, Library Services Specialist Marilu Salcedo had the idea to open up the opportunity for anyone who wants to get their work out there to submit designs. The only requirements for art entries are that they are CPP-related, appropriate and easy for younger kids to color.
Salcedo said it is a good opportunity for students and staff to showcase their work and add to their portfolio, as each coloring page will be credited.
“There’s a lot of artists out there, and I know that sometimes they want to get their art promoted,” Salcedo said. “That’s just my hope, and for children to have something different to color and to (not only) see the same thing all the time.”
Romero and two other colleagues received a grant to fund and support the space and want to utilize it to add more materials to the area.
Some faculty members applied for a $25,000 grant from the Special Projects for Improving the Classroom Experience initiative in 2019 but were initially turned down. However, academic affairs Provost and Vice President Terri Gomez, who was vice president of the Office of Student Success at the time, was interested in the project and allowed the request to go through, giving the team $25,000 to launch the space.
With the funding granted, the Bronco Family Space was worked on until 2022 when it opened in the spring, providing a family-friendly environment as needed when in the library.
According to Romero, everything in the area has been there since it first opened, so new coloring pages would be a refreshing change for the kids.
“I think it would make kids more excited because we have been using the same four printouts,” Monzalvo said. “I’m really excited too to see the new prints and for kids to use them more often.”
Although premade coloring books exist, Romero and Salcedo feel it would feel more meaningful to have specialized art come from the community itself.
“Being able to have a coloring sheet that put them first … creates this kind of feeling that is like, ‘Oh, this is not just a generic coloring sheet. It was intentional, (and) we thought about this project,’” Romero said.
Submissions will be ongoing, according to Salcedo, so students and staff can continue to share their artwork at any time to have it be a part of the Bronco Family Space. Additional information regarding requirements and submissions can be found in an Instagram post from the University Library, as well as flyers on display around campus.
“We really want to create an environment that people can call their home,” Romero said. “A big sense of community and belonging is why we created this space to begin with.”
