Tag: Communities

Hyperlinked Symposium: #hyperlib Explore & Act in 3-2-1

I had heard incredible feedback about the INFO 287: The Hyperlinked Library class but I did not predict how transformative this course would be for me. As a student at the beginning of the course I felt that the theories and flexible concepts within it made my individual path unknown and unpredictable. However, I found that diving headlong into the material inevitably gave me access to insights and ideas that I had not encountered despite working in libraries for five years.

The nature of being hyperlinked in library communities cuts to the core of human experiences. It invites patience and chaos, but also collaboration and the courage to ‘follow the spark’ and support brilliance when it appears.

Thank you to Dr. Michael Stephens for providing this unique learning environment and to my classmates for sharing their sparks and engaging with mine.

Reflection Blog #4: 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🗣️🆘🙏✅🙌

The value of storytelling has never been more powerful as libraries have shifted toward becoming community hubs and away from the notion of being book warehouses. Libraries and library staff might arrange an environment for a community to form by providing programming events, but sharing stories with each other is a necessary step for a sense of community to grow and thrive. I previously explored storytelling via a traveling exhibit where veterans shared their stories through tattoos. This inspired me to ask my colleagues about transformative experiences that patrons have shared with them. In my experience, these heart-warming stories tend to accumulate quickly for public library workers, but I’ve selected a few short anecdotes to share anonymously.

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Reflection Blog #2: Illinois Libraries Bridge the Gap Between Veterans and their Communities

Veterans are a unique community who chronically underuse their resources but also are frequently neglected by greater society. While reading through papers at the crossroads of libraries and veteran needs, I discovered the estimate that only 20% of veterans utilize their benefits (Adamich, 2018). I shared this statistic with veteran friends and they expressed that many veterans carry fears of judgement and medical paper trails that restrict their career opportunities. There are many obvious ways that libraries can attempt to be a beacon for this community through providing information, but I began to wonder: how can libraries become environments of connection and interaction for veterans?

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Reflection Blog #1: Libraries as Digital Community Hubs

As I work through this course I am continually drawn to the concept of librarians as Digital Care Workers who help their communities dissolve the barriers of accessibility and close the digital divide. I have had several interactions as a library paraprofessional which exposed the reality that this divide still exists in present day and it is not limited to age groups despite the notion that Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha are digital natives (Gun, 2023). A couple of years ago I had an interaction with a shy eighteen-year-old patron who worked up the courage to ask me how to use email—from step one of creating an email address—because they never had a computer at home. I have had many similar interactions over the years which have revealed that being skillful with a cellphone did not mean those same skills were always transferable to a computer interface.

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Introduction

Hello everyone, my name is Katelyn and presently I am a library technician at a federal academic library. Previously I was the primary cataloger for two years at another federal institution and that’s where my main interest lies: cataloging and metadata. Now I work in circulation and inter-library loans, but I also participate in projects for other departments like Systems (for the library’s website) and Special Collections (cataloging).

I was fortunate to take Dr. Stephen’s INFO 200 – Information Communities course during my first semester at SJSU, and greatly appreciated his teaching style and emphasis on the importance of communities from common to niche and how to serve them. For that course I studied Historical Reenactment Enthusiasts and their information needs. I’m eager to study these concepts again but intertwined with emerging technology.

When I’m not absorbed in library things I enjoy relaxing with my husband and our three cats. Admittedly I have several varied interests such as reading and watching horror and thrillers, historical reenactment, vegetable gardening, weight lifting and road cycling, camping, international travel, and many others. I hope to have a wonderful semester with you all!