For my inspiration report, I decided to focus on Toronto’s Kitchen Library, which lends out kitchen appliances and tools to patrons.
Here is the link to my report on Canva: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGFDEqofA8/osLwhDM6kxb6WsGPjgTugA/view?utm_content=DAGFDEqofA8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor
For this module, the Learning Everywhere section is what drew my interest the most. Thanks to technological advances and the Internet, people are able to learn about a wider range of subjects more than ever, at their own time and from wherever they want. Additionally, learning doesn’t have to necessarily be from books or other traditional methods, learning can take place anywhere and at any time. For example, Marsden Library’s sensory space allows for families to have learning moments with their young children in a space designed to allow for them to touch, feel, and play with their surroundings. Libraries provide a safe space for people to learn and interact with the world, with trained staff and information professionals available to help guide learners on their journey and help find answers to any burning questions that may arise (Doctorow, 2013). With the availability of information thanks to the Internet, the library’s responsibilities have expanded and evolved, yet still remained the same at their core.
Learning is a lifelong journey, one that doesn’t stop with formal education, and the library helps facilitate and encourage this learning. Through workshops and programming, libraries can help introduce new skills to patrons, encourage hands on learning through special spaces such as sensory spaces and maker spaces, and continue to foster a love of learning in their patrons.
References
Doctorow, C. (2013, February 23). Libraries and makerspaces: a match made in heaven. Boing Boing. https://boingboing.net/2013/02/25/libraries-and-makerspaces-a-m.html
Public Libraries Connect. (2018). Check out Marsden Library’s sensory space! Public Libraries Connect. https://plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/check-out-marsden-librarys-sensory-space
Hi everyone! I really enjoyed this class and a huge thank you to @michael and everyone else in this class. I hope everyone has a great summer!
Here is the link to my virtual presentation on Canva. https://www.canva.com/design/DAGFDi8rdvw/s7VC6N7G0nM7c8dYpZIwKg/view?utm_content=DAGFDi8rdvw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=recording_view
For my innovation strategy and roadmap, I will be pretending to pitch an adult maker space for San Francisco Public Library, to provide a similar space to the existing teen space, The Mix at the Main Library branch.
Here is the link to my innovation strategy and roadmap: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGE9J5hOok/K_yhWAC6inF45jdKEW0SMA/view
While exploring this module, I am reminded of how important it is to connect to others on a human level, and to take the time to really listen to everyone’s stories. In today’s society, with everything being so interconnected and digitalized, many people report feeling lonelier than ever, with the US experiencing a loneliness epidemic (Summers et al., 2023). Libraries have historically been a place for the people, and by taking the time to connect with a library’s patrons, it can help foster a sense of community and understanding between library staff and patrons. As mentioned in Ray’s article, hearing stories from community members can help with understanding and gaining empathy for those who come from backgrounds different from us. The concept of a “human library” is something that will stick with me and is something I would love to implement and organize in my future career.
Stories have always interested me, and during my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to conduct my own research, which was focused on code switching in heritage Cantonese speakers and the sociocultural factors that affect their language usage. Part of my research involved conducting informal interviews with my participants, and it included asking them questions about their upbringing and background. These interviews helped provide a unique perspective into each of their relationships with their culture, heritage, and Cantonese. Even though we all were heritage Cantonese speakers raised in the US, each of my participants had their own unique experiences and code switching habits.
References
Ray, M. (2019, April 12). The ‘Human Library’ where people share their personal stories. Next Avenue. https://www.nextavenue.org/courageous-conversations-human-library/
Summers, J., Acovino, V., & Intagliata, C. (2023, May 2). America has a loneliness epidemic. Here are 6 steps to address it. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173418268/loneliness-connection-mental-health-dementia-surgeon-general
While watching UploadVR’s video demonstrating the usage of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 AR headset, I couldn’t believe this video was from five years ago, as the technology being demoed in the video is still technology that tech companies are researching and working on today. I started to think about how their holograms, the HoloLens 2 AR spatial application, and virtual rooms could be applied to libraries. I started imagining virtual libraries that existed virtually for patrons to browse, museum exhibits that visitors could touch and feel through the holograms, as well as virtually hosted library workshops and events. Unfortunately, this technology is still not widely available, but the possibilities of what one can do with AR and holograms, especially for libraries, archives, and museums is very exciting.
On a related note, VR is also quite exciting, and McShane’s 2018 article about virtual field trips through the use of VR stood out to me as the possibilities are similar to those for hologram/AR technology. More and more museums exhibits and collections are being digitalized and made available for browsing online, and libraries providing access to VR headsets to view VR museum exhibits is an exciting potential development. It would be interesting to see if universities, libraries, archives, and museums move to include a VR component to their virtual exhibits and collections, so visitors can experience a more immersive experience when viewing online collections.
References
McShane, M. (2018, June 13). Is virtual reality the future of field trips? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemcshane/2018/06/13/is-virtual-reality-the-future-of-field-trips/?sh=5c6ceaa81809
UploadVR. (2019, Feb 19). HoloLens 2 AR headset: On stage live demonstration [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIHPPtPBgHk
Over the past few years, with advancements in AI, there has been rising concern regarding the usage of AI and AI programs such as ChatGPT in an academic setting. Instructors have been reporting students using AI to complete assignments and have concerns over plagiarism and hallucinations in the work AI churns out (Mind Matter News, 2022). Librarians have been working to adapt to these new AI tools, and figure out the best ways to adopt them while setting guidelines for AI usage in an academic setting (Coffey, 2023). As mentioned in Coffey’s article, I believe it is important for librarians, information professionals, and MLIS students to test out and play around with AI tools to get a good feel for their capabilities and limits. I believe AI isn’t going to be going away and the sooner we are able to adapt to AI tools, the better it is for us. Librarians have always had to be flexible and adaptable, and AI is no different.
AI can help make the research process sail more smoothly, as mentioned in Main and Rosengarten’s 2023 article regarding navigating research with the aid of AI tools. I believe that AI can be used to create citations, which of course would need to be doubled checked to see if it is formatted correctly, and can also be used to help come up with better search term combinations when researching. AI can also help with brainstorming research topics and specific search terms or phrases.
References
Coffey, L. (2023). AI marks the next chapter for college librarians. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/libraries/2023/11/03/ai-marks-next-chapter-college-librarians
Main, C. & Rosengarten, S. (2023). Helping students navigate research with AI tools. Computers in Libraries, 43(7). https://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/sep23/Mairn-Rosengarten–Helping-Students-Navigate-Research-With-AI-Tools.shtml
Mind Matters News (2022). Why We Should Not Trust Chatbots As Sources Of Information. https://mindmatters.ai/2022/12/why-we-should-not-trust-chatbots-as-sources-of-information/
While reading the required readings for this week’s module, something that really stood out to me is the importance of remembering that libraries, at their core, are for the people. Technology is fascinating, and it can be easy to get swept up with new advancements, but it’s important to remember that the purpose of the library is to support the community.
Schmidt’s 2016 article in Library Journal on asking the right questions really spoke to me, as questionnaires looking for suggestions on how the library can improve their services are something that I’ve come across many times. Every time I see that survey, I am at a loss, as I don’t really know how to answer the broad questions on these surveys. Schmidt’s point regarding asking questions about the lives of your library’s patrons as a method of learning more about what patrons may want and need from their library is something that library staff should keep in mind when developing their surveys.
Additionally, Baute’s blog regarding the Northern Regional Library in Tamale, Ghana’s project to provide vital pre/postnatal information to pregnant women through text messages, the radio, and more really touched me. It was amazing to read about how the library is able to provide vital information and check up on pregnant women and their infants throughout their pregnancies and post birth, especially given the high maternal mortality rates in their communities. The library being able to provide a space where women can come in to learn important pre/postnatal information via the computers is a testament to the importance of the library and an example of how libraries need to adapt to their community’s needs to better serve their communities.
References
Baute, N. (2013). How a modern library keeps mothers healthy in rural Ghana. EIFL. https://www.eifl.net/blogs/how-modern-library-keeps-mothers-healthy-rural-ghana
Schmidt, A. (2016, May 1). Asking the right questions. Library Journal, 141(8), 22. https://link-gale-com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/apps/doc/A450998802/AONE?u=csusj&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=b7dabb9d
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the world to slow to a stop. With it came the realization of the important role public libraries play in the community. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, public libraries were forced to close to the public while also navigating meeting their patrons’ and community’s needs (The Hunt Institute, 2021). If self-service libraries were a widespread model adopted by libraries across the US during the lockdowns, perhaps libraries would have been able to meet more of the community’s needs. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the benefits of the self-service library became more evident and libraries started to seriously consider it as an option.
Self-service libraries are not a new concept. They have been popular in Europe for a while now, however, the US is still quite slow when it comes to incorporating self-service technology into their libraries. With concerns from the community regarding a potential loss of jobs for librarian staff, and concerns regarding library safety and security, libraries and communities are hesitant about adopting self-service library technology. Erin Adler wrote about early adopters of self-service libraries in the US in her article “Libraries without librarians? Twin Cities systems try it” for the Star Tribune. Various libraries in the Twin Cities area have tried the self-service library model with success. Self-service library hours adds to hours of operations without needing to hire staff to man these expanded hours.
Claire Zulkey’s article “Automatic for the People” in American Libraries expands on the history of self-service libraries and highlights one of the earliest pilots of the self-service library model at the Lawrenceville branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library, all the way back in 2016. The pilot was a resounding success and led to the technology being used at another branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. The expanded hours of operations as a result of the self-service library allowed for more patrons to be able to visit and use the library at times convenient to them. Zulkey also highlights the self-service library at the Yacolt Library Express branch of the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries in Vancouver, Washington. Trust in the community and working with the community to make the self-service library as safe as possible for patrons is essential for the self-service library model.
One notable example of a public library system that has implemented self-service library hours for two of its branches is the Santa Monica Public Library. The Santa Monica Public Library has implemented these self-service hours as a result of a grant from the state of California and in partnership with Bibliotheca, LLC. Bibliotheca is the company behind Open+, the technology system that many libraries use to offer self-service hours to the community. These expanded self-service hours are part of an experiment in offering library services after the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of this experiment, the two branches equipped with Open+ are open during specific days and hours as a way to expand their preexisting hours of operations.
Another example of a public library that has adopted Open+ for their own self-service hours is the Woodland Branch Library of the Santa Clara County Library District (Morgan, 2023). The Woodland Branch Library first started piloting this self-service model during specific days and hours in November 2022. This program expands the Woodland Branch Library’s hours in the mornings on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, allowing for more patrons to visit when the library would ordinarily be closed.
As more libraries experiment with the self-service library model, and the success of previous pilots are publicized, it is clear that self-service libraries may be the future of our libraries today. It will be interesting to see if self-service libraries will become widespread in the US in the future.
References
Adler, E. (2019. June 1). Libraries without librarians? Twin Cities systems try it. Star Tribune. https://www.startribune.com/libraries-without-librarians-twin-cities-systems-try-it/510713442/
Morgan, Z. (2023, February 1). With aim to increase access, Woodland Library opens self-service hours. Mountain View Voice. https://www.mv-voice.com/news/2023/02/01/with-aim-to-increase-access-woodland-library-opens-self-service-hours/
Santa Monica Public Library. (n.d.). Self-service hours. Santa Monica Public Library.https://smpl.org/selfservicehours/
The Hunt Institute. (2021, April 30). Impact of COVID-19 on public libraries. The Hunt Institute. https://hunt-institute.org/resources/2021/04/impact-of-covid-19-on-public-libraries/
Zulkey, C. (2019, September 3). Automatic for the people. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2019/09/03/automatic-people-self-service-libraries/
Hi everyone!
I’m Christine and I from San Francisco, California. This is my second semester here at SJSU and I have a Bachelor’s in Psychology from UC Irvine.
I initially chose this course as I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and the topic really piqued my interest. I think it’s important to stay on top of emerging technologies in the library field. I’m excited to learn this semester!
I am still trying to figure out what field I want to go into in the future, but so far I am interested in public and academic libraries.
In my free time, I enjoy playing games with my friends (recently we have been obsessed with Palworld), building miniature block sets like Nanoblocks, various arts and crafts, and of course, reading. I enjoy reading manga, manhua, manhwa, and various web/light novels from China, South Korea, and Japan. My favorite series is probably the All Souls series, which is very much not a series from East Asia.
I love Tamagotchis and I enjoy collecting them as well! (if you couldn’t tell from my profile picture)
I look forward to working with you all this semester!