INDIANAPOLIS — Nov. 14, 2025
Marian University made national history last week as the first college or university in the United States to host a Scholastic Book Fair, drawing hundreds of students, faculty, families and local schoolchildren to the Unity Center from Nov. 10–14.
The fair was organized and led by senior
graphic design and communication major Cassie Mitchell, who also serves as the Unity Center’s cultural programming manager. Mitchell said the idea began as a casual conversation with student coworkers about childhood memories of Scholastic Book Fairs.
“We were reminiscing about how impactful they were as kids,” Mitchell said. “So I filled out the interest form, met with the Scholastic team through September and October, and we made it happen.”
Mitchell, alongside Unity Center staff and student volunteers, transformed the space into a nostalgic, brightly colored display of books, posters, and knick-knacks reminiscent of the fairs many attendees remembered from elementary school.
Throughout the week, campus visitors browsed fiction, nonfiction, activity books, and novelty items. Students described the event as a welcome throwback, while faculty emphasized the community value it brought to Marian.
“It brings together reading and family, and I can’t wait for it to come back next year,” Marian University President Daniel Elsne
r said. “This is an amazing opportunity for the Marian community.”
Junior psychology major Zion Dawson-El said the fair was a refreshing reminder of childhood traditions.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been to a book fair,” Dawson-El said. “Now that I have adult money, I can buy what I want for myself and my family. There are so many books I didn’t even know were still around. I’m so glad this is here.”
The fair exceeded Scholastic’s expectations for university participation. Because the event operated as a free fair, Scholastic requested that Marian aim for at least $1,600 in total sales. The Unity Center nearly hit that target on day one, bringing in $1,200. By the end of the week, sales reached $3,000, half of which will return to the Unity Center to help fund next year’s fair.
Scholastic representatives celebrated the event’s success and its potential to expand the program into higher education nationwide.
“WOW — what a fair you had!” said Scholastic Book Fairs consultant Tina Roccia. “This exceeded our expectations for what book fairs could look like at universities and colleges across the United States. We’re looking forward to what this means for Scholastic for years to come.”
Given the fair’s overwhelming success, Scholastic has already scheduled Marian University’s next fair for Fall 2026, running Nov. 6–13, 2026.
