This module’s materials had me thinking about the devastating literacy crisis that we are currently facing across the globe. Also, while technology is a great tool that the hyperlinked library model supports, technology has been proven to negatively affect mental health and attention spans (Small et al., 2020). It is important for libraries to still implement new technologies but simultaneously promote a healthy use of them. The hyperlinked library model supports the fight against this crisis by creating communities that are welcoming, technologically relevant and healthy, and breaking barriers that may prevent patrons from partaking in services.

Salt Lake City Public Library’s (SLCPL) Strategic Roadmap reminded me that the term literacy does not solely refer to reading comprehension, it is talking about the ability to listen, write, and communicate with others too. In their roadmap, the SLCPL has a section on “Critical Literacies” that discusses how they want their library to help foster Early Literacy and Digital Literacy (SLCPL, 2018). There are certain literacies, like digital literacy, that are vital to being part of a community in the 21st century. Digital literacy does just mean that someone is able to communicate and understand information using technology, but this also includes reading. Ebooks and audiobooks count as reading, just like a physical book. Grant’s article mentioned the rise of technology in the 1990s and how there was fear from the library community that libraries would become obsolete (Grant, 2021). I think the fear was understandable at that time, but, to me, technology seems to only strengthen and change libraries’ role in the world. If libraries create a positive attitude surrounding technology instead of rejecting it, patrons may be more willing to trust librarians in other areas too.

There is the issue of barriers or assumed barriers that may prevent patrons from using public library services too. For example, public libraries used to have late fees issued on checkouts, but now most libraries have stopped issuing late fees (including mine!) to encourage patrons to utilize the collection more. Many patrons have expressed publicly that late fees were a major restraining point and that going fine free is a great modification (The City Library, 2018). Lots of community members don’t know about most libraries being fine free now, so they just don’t come back to the library. To solve this, libraries should promote this more, maybe on social media, to let patrons know. The public library is one of the only places community members can go after being in school to find free information, but we need to let the public know what they can do in the library.

References

The City Library. (2018, August 10). The fine free library: One year later. Medium. https://slcpl.medium.com/the-fine-free-library-one-year-later-d28c69743c15

Grant, R. (2021, November). How Memphis created the nation’s most innovative public library. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/memphis-created-nations-innovative-public-library-180978844/?fbclid=IwAR1KhgGc_cXHfCduhqGtJ1Wi5Y2jRho1yW1Q62QjCNC5o2Qs9eLeGnzqqIM

Salt Lake City Public Library (SLCPL). (2018). Strategic roadmap. https://static.libnet.info/images/pdfs/slcpl/StrategicRoadmap.pdf 

Small, G. W., Lee, J., Kaufman, A., Jalil, J., Siddarth, P., Gaddipati, H., Moody, T. D., & Bookheimer, S. Y. (2020). Brain health consequences of digital technology use
. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 22(2), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.2/gsmall