The Hyperlinked Bethany

What is the future of libraries if they are known to adapt and change with the needs of their communities? It seems to start with a redefinition and reevaluation of what libraries can do that best serves their communities.

Eric Klinenberg caught my attention with his response about cities who don’t understand the investment into making libraries accessible. “I think it’s because too many cities are led by people who don’t recognize the enduring value of libraries. Too many American elites – in policy, business, and, philanthropy – see them as luxuries, rather than as critical social infrastructures” (Gaetani, 2018). Perhaps when you look at some impressive examples like historical libraries, or the libraries that win the Public Library of the Year Award, you might see a library as a luxury. But, it’s true that the best direction for a library is in the hands of those who have its importance in mind. Pam Sandlian Smith (TEDx Talks, 2013) spoke of how Adams County had the poorest library system until the community voted to increase funding in 2006, leading to the expansion of seven libraries. I want to look into these international libraries more to see what characteristics they embraced that made their organizations be truly loved and recognized for their efforts.

One thing is for sure when it comes to the future of libraries and our world with them: we must observe it alongside the present, because it’s arriving at our doorstep faster than ever. In the Pew Research Center’s forecast of 2025, it is stated that the new normal of “tele-everything” in our regular life will come with pros and cons. Humans value convenience and safety, which explains why we flock to technology that makes our lives easier. However, this will come with its fair share of downsides, such as risks to the safety and integrity of information, and the physical and mental effects of absorbing so much information daily (Anderson et al., 2021). Such factors will need to be considered when planning for the future of libraries and emerging community needs. The organization of a library requires awareness of the world around us, and how those trends and current events can affect us on a local scale. Technology is bringing us together in more ways than we can count!

References:

Anderson, J., Rainie, L., & Vogels, E. (2021, February 18). Experts say the ‘new normal’ in 2025 will be far more tech-driven, presenting more big challenges. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/02/18/experts-say-the-new-normal-in-2025-will-be-far-more-tech-driven-presenting-more-big-challenges/

Gaetani, M. (2018, November 11). Libraries and Social Infrastructure. https://casbs.stanford.edu/news/qa-eric-klinenberg

TEDx Talks. (2013, December 16). What to expect from libraries in the 21st century: Pam Sandlian Smith at TEDxMileHigh [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa6ERdxyYdo 

While reading about the health initiatives promoted by the public and state libraries of Victoria from the previous module, something that interested me was the example of creating community presence in the library to combat the loneliness epidemic and other possible health struggles. One example was to offer simple activities for people to join, whether it was a conversation club for people feeling isolated during lockdowns, or late-night activities as a way to keep people from problem gambling (Hasan, 2022). How are libraries able to connect these “simple” solutions to complex issues?

Curious about the loneliness epidemic, I looked up the Surgeon General’s advisory from 2023. It outlines the importance of social connection and how it plays a part in both the micro and macro—individuals and communities. The advisory is a public health statement to create awareness on a national level, so it provides a solid blueprint for libraries to build a strategic initiative.

One of my INFO 254 peers gave a presentation on causal correlation, and how we should take care to find the meaning in correlations if there is a natural connection. The overall correlation between libraries and wellbeing is that libraries can “equip communities with the necessary skills, information and confidence needed to manage their own health and wellbeing” (Greenwood, 2022). Such people can feel more in control of their health or situation if they can acquire answers, and that could make a difference. Just as we might follow self-care advice to “focus on things we can control, not things out of our control,” the same can apply to libraries. A library might not be a miracle-working hospital, but in its own way, it offers support to its community that can have beneficial effects in the overall long-term.

References:

• Greenwood, C. (2022). Healthy Library, Healthy Life. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Healthy-Library-Healthy-Life.pdf
• Hasan, T.N. (2022). ‘Free, non-judgemental, accessible’: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and wellness. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/bangla/en/article/free-nonjudgmental-and-accessible-how-your-local-library-is-a-sanctuary-of-health-and-wellness/t15blzsi9 
• Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

Learning about libraries as communities is a great way to start changing the notion of what a library is. A library is not primarily in the service of books, but people. A place of books is otherwise a repository, but what gives those books meaning and value are the people who read them. Humanity’s nature was meant for many things, not least of all companionship. A library is a logical place for a community to meet together and discover what they can accomplish together. Books just happen to be one culmination of those efforts.

This course encourages us to embrace the potential of what libraries are capable of. I was interested in the correlation between libraries and improving the health of patrons, and how the public and state libraries of Victoria are approaching this initiative (Greenwood, 2022; Hasan, 2022). I could visualize the physical and mental struggles of a population as they grow older (Greenwood, 2022), and how users view the library as a “safe place” for their mental wellbeing (Hasan, 2022). Community presence is vital to addressing these needs, and for users to view the library with satisfaction, it means there is something important that they can find there. At its core, the library needs a community supporting it. The true potential of the library is realized when the community comes together to create the best ways it can help them.

Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971).

While writing this, I thought of the beloved song “Pure Imagination” by Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka. “If you want to view paradise / simply look around and view it.” Although the actual context is sung by an inventor who kept his factory secluded before unveiling its wonders to the golden ticket winners, I came up with another interpretation: Paradise is here, surrounded by the people in your life with whom you have relationships and bonds. We can dream of wishes and fantasies that are only possible in some other world, but perhaps the paradise we’re looking for can also be found here, in a world we are capable of shaping.

References:

Greenwood, C. (2022). Healthy Library, Healthy Life.

Hasan, T.N. (2022). ‘Free, non-judgemental, accessible’: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and wellness. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/bangla/en/article/free-nonjudgmental-and-accessible-how-your-local-library-is-a-sanctuary-of-health-and-wellness/t15blzsi9