Business Librarian and Outreach Coordinator Penn State University Libraries
College students are prolific consumers of fast fashion. Popular online retailer Shein targets this demographic particularly, as their clothes are often featured in student TikToks showing off “hauls” of new items scored at low prices. The inventory seems never ending – Shein posts an average of 6,000 new items to its website per day, and is cultivating “campus ambassadors,” local influencers who encourage other students to buy from the brand. But do students think about the environmental and ethical impacts of their fashion finds? The Penn State University Libraries Informed Consumer Committee developed in-person and online outreach events to guide students through the hidden costs of fast fashion. The events encouraged students to investigate more ethical and sustainable alternatives and discover how library resources can help them lower their fast fashion footprints.
Viewers will learn about planning, marketing, resources, and giveaways for the outreach events. The poster will also include photographs from the in-person event and screen captures of anonymous student responses from the online program. The presenters will assist attendees with developing strategies to reproduce or customize the event for their institutional context.