The Library Study Hall is an interdisciplinary movement to promote education and action toward sustainability in apparel and fashion. Study Hall Conferences are cross-cultural and inter-disciplinary gatherings of the minds exploring tangible eco-solutions to bring to market. These events bring together students and scientists, designers and producers, organizers and activists, suppliers and brand leaders in a never-before-seen community of practice. The Study Hall Fellowship program offers awards and support to researchers and academics to develop industry-ready, viable, impactful solutions.

Here, we envision a world where the fashion industry is accountable to workers, to indigenous and marginalized communities, to the health of consumers, and to the planet-- and where all people have a voice in shaping its impacts. Learners through the open-education Study Hall platform are decision-makers from across the supply chain, whose knowledge, networks, and choices affect major environmental and human rights outcomes across the globe. The half-day Study Hall events feature keynote speakers, panels, and presentations from a wide variety of experts. Previous guests have included Ladonna Brave Bull Allard, Lakota historian and activist and organizer with the Standing Rock water access movement; Danielle Nkojo with the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment; Meral Guzel, Women’s Empowerment Principles Specialist with the U.N.; and Anna Banks, Chief Marketing Officer of Fair Trade USA.The education provided during keynote addresses, panel discussions, and Ignite-style short talks allows each attendee-- no matter their industry or background-- to broaden and deepen their understanding of their role in the marketplace and in the world. Impacts of each Study Hall conference, beginning in the spring of 2019, will be measured by an immediate post-survey to capture participants’ understanding of issues covered at the event, their role in the industry, connections made through the event to other participants, influencers, or collaborators, and future plans. Surveys will also be sent at 6- and 12-month intervals to track participant learning, continued study in their field(s), industry practices, network growth, and progress toward sustainability goals in their daily work. Since its first conference in February of 2018, The Library Study Hall has brought its industry-spanning conversations to Los Angeles, London, and San Francisco, with invitations to convene in Mexico City, Amsterdam, Cape Town, and Dubai. Current plans include two global conferences per year, with a third by standing invitation at the U.N. to kick off each annual New York Fashion Week. Demand for these conversations among attendees has also been high and growing. All conferences have reached or exceeded their planned capacity, with 300-600 attendees at each event.

Study Hall Conferences are centered on the transfer of knowledge from speakers to audience, providing democratic access to industry practices, design innovation, and emerging policy. Each conference is recorded in full and archived online with free access. Beginning in August 2019, all conferences will include an opt-in attendee directory to allow participants to connect and collaborate following the event. There will also be post-event surveys at 1-day, 6-month, and 12-month intervals to capture and support creative sustainability initiatives catalyzed at the conference.

Study Hall conference themes and content direction are co-determined by the host agency and Executive/Creative Director, Celine Semaan. The program and speaker selection is then built by the staff and board of Study Hall and its advisory network. Lucie Brigham, Chief of the U.N. Office of Partnerships, serves as an advisor on all events. Sponsors provide input but do not determine programming. Conferences have and will continue to take place at and in partnership with institutes of higher education across the globe, such as Central St. Martins, University of the Arts London, which hosted it in April of 2019. Celine Semaan is also an MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow and is on the Board of Directors of American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) NY.

Slow Factory, MIT Media Lab, United Nations Office for Partnerships, Youtube, adidas, Google, G-Star Raw, Eileen Fisher, NASA, Mara Hoffman, Dapper Dan, Stacy London, Neri Oxman, National Geographic, Fair Trade USA, The Bear Scouts, Parsons School of Design, Artistic Lab Dubai Research & Innovation Center, CLASS Eco Hub, FIT, UAL: Central Saint Martins and Centre for Circular Design, and Yale Openlab; Sourcemap