These are amazing! The Biblioburro and the camels!!

Hi Melissa,
It’s so sad how much violence has come into our world. When places like libraries and our children’s schools need to worry about violence and safety associated with it. There is also so much crime and violence these days in the rest of the world too. You go to Target now a days and everything is locked up and security is watching everyone’s moves. I hate this and wish that things will change…

Thank you for your post.
-Laurel

That sounds terrifying, and I’m so glad you had the skillset to work through that situation.

I would say, “Things they don’t tell you in library school,” but here we are. Perhaps there should be a class going forward that teaches this, since it seems like it’s just part of the landscape now.

Hi, Christie – first of all, congrats on your pending graduation! I wanted to comment and say how much I appreciate the way you phrased the sentence “… this formula provides us with infinite successes…” I like how you’ve reimagined success in Professor Stephen’s equation not as the product but as a mere factor of experience; I find that the notion that success isn’t the measure by which we assess our lives is both relieving and endlessly– infinitely, you might say – more fulfilling that judging worth based on what comes after the equals sign. Thank you for your post!

You raise fair concerns with your reflections, it’s important to be able to grow along side peers and mentors which marganilized groups may have less access to because of busy schedules or just a lack of public support. Although many libraries assist to connect people with proper resources, that depends on the area soemone lives in. I’d wish that it was a universal statement, but we still need to work to make libraries more inclusive as they are primarily build in better off neighborhoods, or they just don’t get proper funding in poorer areas. I’ve even been warned against working in a certain area due to it being a ‘bad’ area, which is concerning since it creates a feedback loop of not being able to improve the quality of where someone lives.

I love that you got up on your soapbox. I want to hear more! Neurodivergent kids get so much negative feedback from the world around them that having a mentor “see” you and your full capabilities can be life-changing. It’s too bad that finding such an inclusive learning environment in the school system can be such a struggle.

@oliviaevans Yes, I agree! For my inspiration report, I am diving deep into the needs of foster kids and how libraries are struggling to get them into the library to take advantage of the programming. More librarians need to do outreach to group homes and other agencies working with foster youth to get them into the library.

What an inspiring testament to the power of connected learning! Your son’s journey with the robotics team beautifully illustrates how these experiences can profoundly impact individuals, providing them with opportunities to shine and thrive. It’s heartening to see libraries, like Multnomah County’s, stepping up to foster similar transformative experiences for underserved communities. This commitment to equity and inclusion is truly commendable and reflects the essence of connected learning. Keep sharing these incredible stories—they remind us of the boundless potential within us all.

Hi @lauraw,
Life long learning is so important! When my sole focus was that of being a stay-at-home mom and the care/livelihood of my children, in so many ways I felt dried up and missing something. Coming back to school and learning a subject so different than my past studies has opened a new part of me. Learning something new has brought so much happiness and motivation to my life! 🙂

-Laurel

Hi, Laura! I just wanted to comment and thank you for referencing the 23 Things quiz. What a cool and interactive website – apparently I am the “Visionary” creativity type: “Emotional, passion-driven, and full of ideas, the VISIONARY combines a vivid imagination with a desire for practical solutions. Your introspective and intuitive nature is balanced by a keen interest in the world around you and a desire to contribute to society.” I really think the form matches its function in mirroring what it assesses visually in between questions with its surrealist movement and soundscapes; it almost felt like interpreting what was happening in between the questions was more important than the questions themselves, even though I have no idea if they change based on your answers or not. (I felt particularly called out by the question concerning whether you’re a “Restart now” or “Remind me tomorrow” type of person.) What I like the most about it is that it tells you which type of creative your “Ideal Collaborator” would be – for me, the “Thinker” – which I think cuts to the heart of the sentiment of your blog post here; that the value of libraries is what we can learn from the people they’re made of.

Good call! I know, not enough play is given to adults. My library has a story time for adults, but with developmental disabilities. I feel like many more would be able to tap into the kid in themselves if given the opportunity.

Glad you took the quiz and thanks for reading my post!!

I agree with your take aways, life long learning is an important part of life. I am always trying to learn, actively by going to school or passively by watching a lot of educational videos on Youtube for example. I have a funny comment though, one of my friends told me before that the quote from Forest Gump is not a good example of a surprise. He said you should expect chocolate in that box and most of the time there will be a list of what flavor each chocolate is! So he doesn’t like when people use the quote to express a mystery.

I think it still can be applicable here though, because you know you will learn, you can even plan what to learn like picking which chocolate you want. You don’t know how good it will taste at first, but you can still try to learn.

Hi Laura,
It is good to hear that libraries learn to listen to great stories and share their books to inspire others to know about diverse perspectives, especially American Indian stories. Thank you!

What a lovely post and what a fun adventure to learn about your indigenous roots. I am sure it has been rewarding to learn of your ancestors by doing, by working with your hands. I am interested in the storytelling while basket weaving. I know many tribes tell stories through intricate pictures on their baskets. When you speak of telling stories, are you referring to oral stories? When looking at that are baskets made by Native Americans, I never really thought about what they were doing while weaving, but of course they told stories and chatted about every day happenings while weaving. What a neat thing to think about! What people were exchanging verbally while making the art you are looking at now. Neat. Thanks for the post.

@lauraw I really enjoyed your thoughts on storytelling. I especially like the quote you shared — “The most important part of a story is the piece of it you don’t know.” I always feel like I want to know the weird side stories of a story or person’s experience more so than the actual story. Like with history, I don’t want to know about the big war battle, I want to know about the woman living on her farm, surviving, and what she is feeling.

-Laurel

Thanks for reading, Jeanna. Did you read Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr? (apologies if I’m repeating myself myself…) It is one of my favs. and is told from multiple perspectives, which I have to admit, I was put off by at first but then found so mind-blowing once the connections revealed themselves. I haven’t watched all of Outlander, but totally see where you’re coming from with it.

That’s really special. Thank you so much for sharing. My husband is autistic/ADHD and yes, even for adults the whole experience can be just too much; that room at the back to go have the meltdown and then come back is a GAME CHANGER.

@christines The sensory friendly Nutcracker ballet is a wonderful find. This was interesting to find out about. It is amazing how things are changing for those who need alternative options.

@christines thank you so much for sharing this story. Kylie Carlson’s presentation at Library 2.0 and at Next Library in 2019 was so moving. Yours was a s well.

I’ve never been the type of person to attend those kinds of events, but I remember when I went to church there was a small quiet area for people with children separated by a glass window. I never realized that can be a safe space for people who can’t handle the big crowds or louder parts of the church. They can still listen in with speakers, but I always assumed it was just where the loud kids went. When I was younger I didn’t understand some people could’ve needed that kind of space.

I love this post! My children are also neurodivergent and it is lovely to see how the needle of inclusivity is moving.

Roya,
I loved this! You always seem to bring the reader back to the big picture of this shared human experience and the need for understanding and compassion. Thank you for the book recommendation, “Far from the Tree.” When I have more time to do reading outside of the program, I will take a look. I am also going to pass it on to a parent at work who shares his struggles with me regarding helping his transgender child with learning challenges.
Lovely post. I always make sure to stop and read what you have added to the discussion.

@royaflin It is amazing how making a connection to someone who is going through something difficult can make it easier. Knowing that you’re not alone and someone has a similar story to yours can be lifew changing.

I can especially empathize when it comes to our children. My son has had multiple medical issues in his life, and when I was first learning about them, I always felt better meeting someone who went through a similar experience. I now have been the parent to pass along my (and my son’s) story to others. I love when I can help someone else with what I learned during my struggles. If I can make things a little easier for someone else, that makes everything worth wild!

-Laurel

Thanks for taking the time to share your story. I think most can empathize with or identify with such struggles with Family members or friends.

@royaflin Thnak you for such an honest and thoughtful exploration of your story as a aprent and how it all relates to the big picture. The nbook you suggested sounds amazing and so useful for understanding others’ stories.

@laurele Isn’t it amazing how life’s burdens become lighter when shared? I love that you are passing your story and wisdom to other parents to help them feel less isolated and more empowered to tackle their challenges. Thank you for your comments!

Your reflection beautifully captures the transformative power of storytelling and vulnerability. Your journey through challenging times, finding support in your book group and on the soccer field, highlights the profound impact of genuine human connection. Integrating insights from authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Andrew Solomon, and Brené Brown, you underscore the importance of embracing diversity and vulnerability for true connection. Initiatives like the human library and partnerships with StoryCorps demonstrate the pivotal role libraries play in fostering dialogue and community engagement. Your mention of narrative inquiry in libraries highlights the value of amplifying individual stories to better understand community needs and adapt programming. Overall, your account eloquently illustrates how storytelling nurtures empathy, transcends boundaries, and builds bridges across differences. Thank you for sharing your journey and insights with such honesty and depth.

Quarry – The book sounds amazing. Will add to my reading list. Thanks for these thoughts!

@kauthmeister Oh! My ❤️! Those examples you shared resonated deeply for many reasons – especially the last one. How wonderful to remember such a life changing person from 3rd grade.

@christinew Oh yes – the power of libraries to level the technology playing field is huge. I hope we see more and more learning and experience labs created within library spaces.

Frances – This was so interesting! I appreciate your jumping off point to bring all these “storied” ideas to life.

Hi Roya,
Thanks for your illuminative thoughts on New Horizons for libraries. I really appreciate the way you applied the ACRL’s framework to thinking about ChatGPT. I have been actively avoiding ChatGPT but need to get my head out of the sand and accept that it will be part of our digital lives from now on. Your perspective provides a good entry point for me to focus on. Much appreciated!
–Maggie

@royaflin This is such a thoughtfully presented exploration of the current state of… everything really! This so resonated with me at the end:

We must also recognize that to retain our humanity, we must also provide places for people to connect and form communities in real life. Libraries and librarians are uniquely positioned in our society to advocate for an ethical and critical evaluation of the digital information infrastructure as well as provide the “social infrastructure where people gather, bonds form, and communities are strengthened” (Klinenberg, as quoted in Peet, 2018).

Libraries are in an amazing posoition to offer spaces and programming to help folks make sense of the world. I hope we keep moving toward that goal.

The future of technology evokes both excitement and concern. While advancements hold promise for improving healthcare, education, and addressing global challenges like climate change, there’s a risk of technology dividing us and eroding our humanity. We must adopt a “meta layer of awareness” in our relationship with technology to understand its effects fully. Concerns arise with tools like ChatGPT, which lacks transparency and may reinforce biases. Librarians play a vital role in fostering critical thinking and ethical evaluation of emerging technologies. Additionally, while AI and virtual reality offer opportunities, they can’t replace genuine human connection. Libraries serve as essential community hubs, advocating for both technological literacy and the preservation of human interaction.

Hi Christine. I really enjoyed looking through your innovation report. I love the idea of libraries being a partner in being responsible stewards of our environment. One area that your report made me think about was the ongoing excessive food waste in our country, while so many people are going hungry. I did a quick search and found out that many libraries are indeed involved in addressing food inequity, an area which may be of an interest to you: https://www.governing.com/now/public-libraries-step-up-to-help-as-food-insecurity-rises#:~:text=Almost%20half%20of%20the%2017%2C496,sources%20of%20affordable%20fresh%20food. I love how libraries are stepping up to do such important work in our communities.

Hi Melissa,
Thank you for sharing your ideas about combining restaurants/bars with a library or bookstore. I remember walking past a cozy bar, that had bookshelves filled with books (I wish I remembered where I saw this, but it may have be somewhere in SF). It was the kind of place where you could enjoy reading a book while sipping on a glass of your favorite wine or cocktail. I loved the idea! As far as food goes, I see so much potential for libraries. As a foodie, I would love to see libraries pair cultural celebrations with food from that culture (maybe using food trucks or having existing restaurants provide the food). It would be such a great way to create community.

@kauthmeister Really appreciate the ideas you share regarding culinary literacy and libraries. Our area had similar during the pandemic where people could not wait out the return of many of the restaurants. Your idea about focusing on young people really resonates as well. I think Traverse City library and all the folks working in hospitality here might benefit from this type of a partnership.