Kiana Pouya – INFO 287 – The Hyperlinked Library

Michael Stephens replied 1 months ago

@kianapouya I am so glad you focused on museums. I’ve been all about the museums. We visited last week in Edinburgh and Glasgow. You highlight a really interesting thing from Amsterdam about discouraging photographs in the museum. I actually had a very different experience and I’ve been mowing this over since: I realized, as I was going through the national Gallery of Scotland, that for the artworks that really resonated with me I snapped a photo with my phone and then snapped a photo of the descriptive plaque next to it. I have a whole gallery of these because I may want to follow up and learn more about them last year. I actually ordered a printed canvas last year of my favorite painting in the gallery.
- Kiana Pouya replied 1 months ago
  
  Hi @Michael,
  
  I absolutely agree with your method. When I visited the Met and American Museum of National History (many years ago), I truly could not stop myself from snapping as many pictures of both the artwork and plaques as much as possible. My reasoning being that since I don’t live in NYC and probably won’t be returning for a long long time, I better savor this day as much as humanly possible. But it was a double-edged sword because the day became a blur and I have NEVER felt the urge to revisit those pictures since almost everything is online these days; and not to mention, the pictures’ camera angles and lighting are very poor, which ruins the experience since I’m not viewing the artwork in its best condition.
  
  So, what I learned from that experience was to simply take pictures of ONLY the most influential pieces that actually make me do a double take (which is difficult since I’m always encapsulated by almost all of them), but I can look them up later (as you mentioned). I would much rather be in the moment than constantly have my phone in hand, in fear of missing out. It’s sort of akin to concerts, where it’s obviously the individual’s choice to experience the performance through their eyes or camera lens, but now I know I prefer the former.
  
  Since technology is a tool, it’s the individual’s decision to utilize that tool in the best way possible, like taking pictures for future reference or letting them collect “dust” in the digital space. I chose to mention Rijksmuseum’s campaign (which only lasted 2 days as far as I know) because I thought it was a cool initiative and thought experiment to make visitors aware and slightly lesson their technology overuse. But regarding the question: Is technology distracting us away from the artworks? As with everything it’s complicated since it’s up to the individual to make the best of both worlds.
Michael Stephens replied 1 months ago

@kianapouya your thoughts and you reminded me of another key thing from my time in Scotland. We took the bus out to the town of Roslyn and went to Roslyn Chapel. They do not allow any photography inside of the chapel itself, which is filled with beautiful carvings and stone, but they give you a guide so you can look for some of the key carvings and super interesting details so there were no phones in the air and people waving about clicking their camera shutters. It was just so much fun. Like talking to people you didn’t know did you find this one or did you find that one? so fun!
- Kiana Pouya replied 1 months ago
  
  Thank you so much @Michael for the name drop! I had never heard of Rosslyn Chapel but I just looked it up and WOW!!! It is breathtaking; that architecture is to die for!!! I will definitely keep it mind for future travels.
  
  I wonder why photography isn’t allowed but it’s really not necessary when there’s plenty of photos of it around the web. The guide idea is really genius too; not only does it keep you grounded in the moment but you also have a reason to socialize with total strangers. Awesome!!! :)))
B. Klint replied 1 months ago

@kianapouya Wow, everything in this post is so cool, but I am especially drawn to the conversation around social media use within the org. This “problem” (if we can call it that) presents an interesting dichotomy– we want people to enter these spaces, but also want to control the experience they have and the way they appreciate the experience. It’s difficult to effectively control the experience of another person, and I find myself having a hard time falling on one side or the other on this argument. BUT, that being said, I love this #startdrawing campaign and think it’s truly innovative and just…. well, cool. Thanks for sharing!
- Kiana Pouya replied 1 months ago
  
  Hi @bklint,
  
  I totally agree with you! I don’t fall on any side of the argument either. I believe it’s the individual’s choice what type of experience they’d like to have — a longer, more meaningful one, or a casual, shorter one while on their phone.
  
  Regardless, I find social media to be a great and free marketing tool for museums to attract more visitors, as long as it doesn’t upstage the actually artworks. In that case, I’m less inclined to visit that museum, or at least that exhibit/artwork, since I don’t want to accidentally photobomb anyone’s IG pics. So, I really appreciated Rijksmuseum’s response and would like to see more occasional #startdrawing campaigns throughout U.S. museums with free sketchbooks and pencils available by the door. That would be so cool!!! :))

P. Fulumirani replied 1 weeks ago

Hi Kiana,

Great post, thanks for sharing! I really like your point regarding how face-to-face settings are instrumental to strengthening connections between people. Sometimes I wonder when I see hate comments online…would these people say the same in real life? Personal accountability is key, as you said.

Kyle Hanson replied 2 weeks, 6 days ago

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.
Diamond Patrick replied 1 weeks, 6 days ago

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!

Michael Stephens replied 2 weeks, 5 days ago

@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!

Millicent replied 1 months, 2 weeks ago

Kiana, I really enjoyed reading your post and I agree with you on so many levels. We all want to expand our services and provide programs to help our patrons expand their knowledge, but it’s also important to focus on basic needs as well. We can do this by supplying food pantries or free clothing. We can also provide pamphlets and information about local free health care and offices. The library should be a place where our patrons feel safe and taken care of, in any way we can possibly help.
- Kiana Pouya replied 1 months, 2 weeks ago
  
  Hi Millicent,
  
  Perfectly said! I absolutely agree with everything you brought up 🙂 Libraries are incredibly sacred taxpayer-funded institutions for us all.
Michael Stephens replied 1 months ago

@kianapouya That quote is EVERYTHING! So glad you highlighted it and reminded me why I added that reading. Such great thoughts on why libraries should seek to take care of the whole person!
- Kiana Pouya replied 1 months ago
  
  Thank you @Michael, I appreciate it!!
  I truly wish that quote was displayed over the wall of every library in the world :))

INFO 287 – The Hyperlinked Library

@kianapouya

@kianapouya