Going through this module on Hyperlinked Communities reminded me that we’re not alone in the world. I don’t know, I think we get caught up in the daily grind of life and forget to look up once in a while to see the bigger picture. Libraries are just a few places in the wild that can aid in breaking up the mundane by reminding us that we are part of a larger community living the same grind.

For example, my local library offers a Community Ofrenda, or altar, during the week leading up to the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. Community members can honor their past relatives by donating an image or object to the Ofrenda. Allowing for a shared experience of grief and love for everyone involved. No additional funding needs to be accounted for such a project; it is a simple community outreach resource that makes the lives of the community served a bit easier. The simple act of contributing one’s own history in a public and safe way is amazingly simple and quite a beautiful way to engage with others.

The following image is not from my local library but instead from another library in the LAPL system, but it’s the same concept.

Image taken from the Atwater Village Branch Library Instagram. The sign at the bottom right corner states: Join us in honoring loved ones who have passed. Bring a photograph of a loved one to add to our Community Ofrenda.

Speaking of beautiful ways to engage with others, I have to mention the Human Library. The ability to check out a “human book,” ask difficult questions, and have difficult conversations about whatever topic that person brings to the table is mind-blowing! It’s a great resource for those who suffer from anxiety, too. As someone who has dealt with anxiety for most of my life, a resource like the Human Library, to speak with someone who just gets it would be beyond beneficial.

Other than geeking out on community outreach resources, I also wanted to delve a bit further into the significance of applying these resources in my future career. The further I go through my journey here at SJSU, the clearer the career path I want to take becomes. As I mentioned in my introduction, I’m interested in both art librarianship and special collections. But more and more, I’m leaning towards an art librarianship in an academic setting. As a Mexican-American woman earning an MLIS degree, I’m more than aware that I’m part of the minority in this field. So, I believe representation of diverse voices is essential within libraries because it is one of the best ways to aid in engagement with the communities they serve.

As a visual art student in the 2010s whose art practice dealt with difficult subjects such as the female body in relation to race and fat body politics, I was not exposed to enough diverse literature or resources that aided my research. In retrospect, I had no mentor figure, such as an instructor, administrator, or even a librarian, who looked like me. In addition, as a student, creating visual content on, for example, fat politics without many modern literary or visual references to be inspired by (I’ve seen enough Rubenisque figures in my lifetime!) was not only frustrating but lonely.

So, “…how can we connect with our users, find ways to be present in their lives, and let them know what we can do for them? What little things can we do?” (Stephans, 2016). Prioritizing diversity and inclusion is the bare minimum that can be done for library users today. Simply having a book section in my school’s library or a workshop that provided information on authors of color who write about female body politics would have sufficed! Making sure there is space for everyone is the essence of community engagement. And as a future information professional, I don’t want anyone in the community I serve to ever feel alone in their pursuit of knowledge, especially those from diverse backgrounds.

References

Stephens, M. (2016). Reaching All Users. In The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change (p. 41). University of Chicago Press