Our module on Hyperlinked Environments made me think about the role of academic libraries in connecting students, not only with resources but with each other. I had too much to say for a blog post, and opted for a long-form video instead. References at bottom of page.
References
Ahari, J. (2023, November 7). Suicide Prevention in the Library – Ithaka S+R. Ithaka S+R. https://sr.ithaka.org/blog/suicide-prevention-in-the-library/
Edwards, M. (2021, September 24). New suicide prevention resource collection. The Daily American. https://www.dailyamerican.com/story/lifestyle/2021/09/24/meyersdale-public-library-hosts-suicide-prevention-collection/5802163001/
Laerkes, J. G. (2016, March 29). The four spaces of the public library. IFLA Public Libraries Section Blog. https://blogs.ifla.org/public-libraries/2016/03/29/the-four-spaces-of-the-public-library/
Matthews, B. (2017). Cultivating Complexity: How I stopped driving the innovation train and started planting seeds in the community garden. Virginia Tech. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/4c33041c-b2bc-4215-9231-aedaf0dcd8e3/content
Spice, L. (2019, September 6). Carroll University launches food share program. Carroll University. https://www.carrollu.edu/articles/alumni/2019/09/carroll-launches-food-share-program-for-students
Stephens, M. (2016b). The heart of librarianship: attentive, positive, and purposeful change. https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Librarianship-Attentive-Positive-Purposeful-ebook/dp/B01L2WLCK6
Suicide by Age – Suicide Prevention Resource Center. (n.d.). https://sprc.org/about-suicide/scope-of-the-problem/suicide-by-age/
@bklint I really enjoyed your video. Thank you for all of your sharing. The real life situations you described along with your responses through the lens of our course were spot on. I so agree with your points – especially about mental health, etc.
@bklint Excellent video! Having the library host a sign-up for a walk that raises awareness and funds for suicide prevention sounds to me like the epitome of wholehearted librarianship / whole-person perspective. I’m sorry your efforts were shut down. It sounds like an initiative with great potential for community building.
Also, I’m becoming more and more convinced that public and academic libraries need to have cafes attached to them for the reasons you lay out: people need a place to drink coffee and tea, to sit comfortably, socialize, and decompress — the third place!
@bklint I really enjoyed your video and your ideas on connecting students to one another, and not just academic resources. Mentioning coffee shops – the academic library I currently intern at has had a coffee shop for a few years now and it actually makes a huge difference. The coffee shop is right next to a really big comfy sitting area where talking is allowed, and there are also computers, printers, and scanners for schoolwork as well. Many of the students that come to the coffee shop aren’t necessarily coming for the library, but end up staying, socializing, and using the library services because they are already there and get comfy. I honestly believe that every academic library should incorporate coffee shops.