@mickeysosa97 This: “It is important to remember that library staff are human too and their wellbeing matters too.”

You are spot on. This library totally gets that! It is a good thing to encourage in our organizations.

@michael Thank you! I am all about empathy and inclusivity. Staff should feel comfortable and supported in their workplace. They are after all, the backbone of the library!

Hi Michelle,

I also really enjoyed discovering and learning about the Anythink libraries in this week’s module. I love their enthusiastic and empathetic approach to librarianship by encouraging library staff to view themselves more than just mere staff members. That truly is refreshing, and as you mentioned, it genuinely humanizes and uplifts librarians to remember “their wellbeing matters too.” I absolutely LOVE that! I hope libraries around the world, or at least most, follow suit!

Michelle,

I was also fascinated by the Anythink Library and loved that video as well. The environment just seems so comfortable and energetic at the same time. Whenever you see so many people using the library regularly together, it is so heartwarming and reminds me of why I’m doing this.

This is amazing! I love how they say “we are so much more than a public library” while actively showing a patron sipping coffee while sitting in a comfy chair–it just exudes coziness. I love it. This commercial makes me appreciate libraries even more!

Michelle,

I really love this idea and think it would serve this community very well. It is important to be cultured and learn about others – their background, language, customs, etc. It makes us all more well rounded and respectful people. I also like your idea of including toolkits to assist with the process.

Loved reading your Innovation Strategy & Roadmap. When I visit the Library myself, I am always seeking for the most quiet and private place to relax and study so this would be the perfect space for me to unwind. I work at Disneyland and this also reminds me of the new quiet Cast Member spaces they are creating backstage for the cast to relax and get away from the noise that I am very appreciative of.

@crlhayd I love this service! In my current position, I’m working more often with analyzing things through a DEI lens and I’ve come to notice that I’m not doing enough reflection on disability needs. It’s so easy to look over but as I’m working alongside disabled coworkers, it’s been very eye opening to learn from them. Your roadmap is a great example of simples steps that libraries can take to be more inclusive.

Great Innovation Strategy & Roadmap! Really enjoyed reading about your plan, and I thought you named solid users that may benefit from being a citizen scientist. Really great examples of other libraries that have successfully implemented citizen science. As a patron of the Newport Beach Public Library myself, it would be neat to see it become a reality.

Hi Kiana,
What a cool idea! I love that citizen scientists can be ordinary people who just have a strong interests in something, and that they can use that interest in a tangible way to help their community. I struggled in science classes when I was younger, but this sounds like something even I could do since many of the materials are provided. Thanks for sharing!

@@wendyr24 I so appreciate this practical application of what is possible within the school library space. I agree that it is important to have a collection that appeals to everyone that uses the library and it should be an up-to-date collection. I hope you can make these things work as you go forward.

@kianapouya You highlight the potential and pitfalls of the Open library model. Michael Casey will be joining us in early November and will talk about his library’s use of the model. It has been a very positive experience overall. The video you shared above seems to be working very hard to make the case against. That library system seemed to be struggling with issues eight years ago. I hope things are better now!

I enjoyed going through your Innovation Strategy & Roadmap. Very cool idea that will allow users to get creative which may bring about more diverse patrons to the library. Would be so cool to see the idea go live!

@Catherine The mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors section was so interesting. Thhnansk for sharing that as part of your reflection and thanks for all the links! Saving this to go through them.

@pfulumirani such a great thought about AI through the lens of information literacy. It also struck me as interesting to read about your previous academic experience. I wonder what journalism classes look like in 2024 with ChatGPT so prevalent fascinating to think about.

Hi @pfulumirani,

I totally agree with your sentiment that resisting new technology is a truly futile effort for libraries. Rather, their time and energy would be better spent on adapting their services to actually stay relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape. And one aspect to that equation that you mentioned is incorporating and making tools like AI accessible to the public to actually assist patrons in gaining media and information literacy, which is crucial to have in a digital world becoming more misinformed and harder to trust with each passing day.

Your local library adopting the curbside pickup model, like many businesses did during those trying times, beautifully demonstrates how that initial adaptation can eventually pave the way for newer, improved programs that might not have been possible without taking those first steps.

Hi Claire,

Thank you for sharing, this such a great and well-thought out idea. We get various adult special needs groups come in throughout the week at my local library and this would be a wonderful resource for them (and also the library system overall).

@claireburke I actually didn’t know about sensory rooms and kits in more detail, until recently. I actually went into a sensory room, and I instantly felt relief. My anxiety has been out of this world lately, and I started to feel burnt out, and the sensory room honestly gave me life again. It allowed me to reboot and “work again”. I think this idea is so beneficial and thoughtful, and would get great use!

@claireburke Sensory rooms and kits are a great idea. This reminds me of an art installation I once saw in NYC: LaMonte Young’s Dreamhouse, which is a continuous sound environment with sine wave drones that never stop playing! It’s a highly controlled environment that changes sensory perception and even invites a kind of meditative experience. I’m not saying that it’s exactly right for a library, but it is an interesting conceptual art piece that promotes the exploration of controlled sensory environments and the perceptual effect of continuous sound. You say that the sensory room would contain a speaker. I wonder what kinds of sounds people are interested in exploring! Cheers! — Arthur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_House_(installation)

@claireburke this is a great project! Also, it’s a great cause that I wish we could actually launch at my library. I did a WebJunction “Helping librarians to be autism-ready” toolkit this summer in preparation for working with ASD children at my library. I can see the thought and research you put into your plan: everything you included aligned with what was in the toolkit!

This is great! With so many college students in the area, this could get a lot of interest. I also really like how you mentioned that gearing programming around seasonal events like tax time would be nice.

Hi Praditya,
I really like you’re idea and feel like this is such an important topic to understand for people of all ages! As someone who didn’t know how to do laundry or cook until I started college, this format would be beneficial for pacing tasks, learning with others, and not feeling overwhelmed with “adulting.” Thanks of your post!

Hi Praditya, what a great idea! This would have been so helpful to me when I was younger and had to navigate the world of “adults” without my parents. I’m sure there are so many folks who would benefit from a program like this!

This is a great idea! In our library, our teen services librarian does this type of programming and she calls out to “Emerging Adults”. She works with ages 18-28.

Wow! I just submitted my Innovation Strategy & Roadmap into this Audio AI and it created a perfect 5 minute podcast summarzing the project. My mind is blown. Will share along with my finished roadmap when finished.

I just pasted my last blog post and listened to the podcast created, and it just blew my mind. Here is a link to it: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WQ5cbjLAHqrQNWIE4i8uagM7tHT7rIpw/view

@michael This is so COOL! Mine ended up being like 12 minutes long, but this technology is INCREDIBLE!
https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/2049ad73-81f6-47db-b981-4aa6cc1e3229?original_referer=https:%2F%2F287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu%23&pli=1
I had to click on the Notebook guide then load to listen to the podcast. Thanks for the info!

This is so cool! I can’t wait to try it out.

@michael I tried this for the roadmap assignment. Very cool! https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/51c6ee63-66f5-4ff7-ad83-4d386d2055a3/audio

@terribeth The quote from the Portable MLIS is right on target! Such a strong thought as we think about what is happening globally in the LIS world. I think that chapter helped bring Comp O to the portfolio!

Libraries can serve such a vital role in helping to connect refugees with what they need. I love the concept of a library hosting an art exhibit created by a group of refugees…it gives their voice a chance to be heard and allows new connections to be made between different people.

Adobe Stock and Pixabay are good places to download duty-free images for a project as well.

I use Pixabay.com!

Pexels is my go-to, but I’ve also used Unsplash.

unsplash.com is one of my favs. It has beautiful photographs that, honestly, I can’t believe are free to use.