Times are changing and so are libraries.

I was very excited to go through the module this week. I work in a large public library and feel that almost every single concept that came from the lecture is being implemented in my library which I will do my best to reflect on. I do many different outreach events and partner with many people in and outside of the library. I also have been a part of the team that helps come up with ideas for renovating spaces. Next, I manage the art display in the kids space and helped to kickstart the teen resource center. Lastly, I implement a monthly family night and am so happy to hear that this is what would be considered the “Hyperlinked Library”. 

Partnerships & Outreach

In the lecture, we learn from Professor Stephens that partnerships and outreach are an important part of Hyperlinked Library spaces. After around 3 months of being employed here, my previous supervisor asked if I’d be interested in joining her to do outreach events. I was ecstatic! I love going into the community to meet people and tell them all about the library. I joined her in different outreach events such as Trunk or Treats, school visits, and back to school events. When she left, my former co-worker became my supervisor. She also attends outreach events and knows how much I enjoy them. Her and I tend to go back and forth between community outreach but it is assumed that I will do outreach events for the Caesar Rodney School District and she does outreach for the Capital School District. Outside of the school districts, I have also been able to attend expos for new parents, museum outreach and programs, and events coordinated by the police for children. 

With all of that being said, I find outreach to be so important. I have trouble remembering names (when you see 150+ people at events, it becomes hard to keep track of it all) but I do remember faces. When I attend these events, I make sure to bring a table where I can set up our flyers, bring library materials, and programming schedules. We most recently are offering free infant formula to patrons which is something that I brought up at the baby expo. I also like to bring little tchotchkes from the library such as keychains, bookmarks, stickers, etc. so that people can leave with something that says “Dover Public Library”. I make sure to explain everything that we offer when I meet with people at outreach events. You would be surprised at the amount of people who say “I didn’t know that you offered that!” 

I think that these events are so important because I am the first impression someone gets of the library. My goal is to interact with every patron and to get them excited about the services that libraries offer outside of borrowing books. 

 

Pursuit for Peace organization partners with Dover Comic-Con. My daughter and myself with some of the princesses.

 

Outreach Summer Program with Rehoboth Beach Children’s Theater and Dover Library. I do a summer program called “Tuesdays in the Park” where we work with local businesses to put on performances for children. We are also able to provide free lunch to patrons.

 

Dover Library partners with the City of Dover to offer Little Free Libraries in Public Parks. I manage 2 Little Free Libraries. This helps get free books into our communities.

Dover Library partnership with Engineer Early, a non-profit family run organization that strives to incorporate STEM into early childhood learning. I partner with Engineer Early around 4 times a year (once a quarter). We also have a tween-teen program where they teach children how to code and create 3D printed images.

Renovated Spaces

In 2023, I attended the annual MLA/DLA Library Conference. I was originally hired into my role as the Tween (ages 8-12) Program specialist. At the conference, there was a session on Tween Programs and Tween Spaces. Although this program was short, I learned a lot of important information from it.

The librarian that was running the information session expressed the importance of making sure that teens and tweens have a place where they feel safe and comfortable to be themselves. This prompted conversations between my supervisor and myself about how we can make the space more tween friendly. We implemented a few ideas such as tween only seating and teen only teen space. We have noticed increased circulation and foot traffic since these changes have been made. 

We (the director and youth services staff) are also currently working on moving our media lab into a larger space. The media lab currently can hold 2 people with a reservation. The new space is in a more accessible location and can hold up to 6 people. We discussed the importance of having a working space for groups which unfortunately we cannot currently offer. We have study rooms but they are silent as the noise within the rooms travel. Other than the 2 study rooms, we do not offer public collaborative spaces. We hope to have completed the renovation project by Spring 2025. 

Art Display

I also find it important that art displays are important for Hyperlinked Communities. Looking back at previous modules, the art display in a library really ties into the participatory model of libraries. I personally want to encourage creativity in everyone who walks through the library doors. By creating open ended prompts for art displays, you receive so many pieces that are all unique but alike in a way. It is really a great experience seeing children come into the library with their parents to show them the artwork that they made hung up on the walls. It gives them a sense of belonging in their local libraries and I think this is so important in Hyperlinked Communities. 

Our Fall 2023 display featured nature in art. I collaborated with a local Charter school (K-8th) and patrons to create this display.

This is a photo of Winifred Way, a local artist in our community. She works with the library and local artists in order to promote and sell their art. This photo is when I was on a walk in the summer and I found her painting above an overpass. It always makes me smile.

This is the first time we did an art wall, summer of 2022. We gave the children a theme (“Oceans of Possibilities”) and they really went for it. It was a great way to have patron buy in during our summer reading program.

Teen Resource Center

Before I worked at the library, I was a teacher in a middle school. Something interesting that I saw when I started teaching was the idea of a hygiene closet. In an effort to provide some hygienic items to students, I raised money through Go Fund Me and was able to buy around $300 in hygiene items for students. The closet was used discreetly and didn’t require names to be shared. Students could go in there while they were at lunch or special. I was aware of who was using it but ensured that their privacy would be protected. Reading the article by Tareq Hasan, one key point that sticks out to me and is applicable in this instance is “Most people who are facing mental health-related problems… feel loneliness and they don’t find anyone who they can trust” (Hasan, 2023). These teens and middle schoolers feel safe to take these items because they are in a judgment free zone. 

When I came to the library, I thought that it would be a great idea to implement in our library. With a little more crowdsourcing (my friends and family are amazing) I was able to raise around $275 to begin our teen resource center. Since teens and middle schoolers have different needs, I worked with another teen library assistant to pick items that would meet the needs of our teens. We included basic hygiene items such as toothbrush/paste, shampoo, tampons/pads, lotion, floss, hair ties, etc. but we also included items such as male and female condoms as well as different resources for help with addiction, alcohol, and teen pregnancy.

We constantly restock the items although we don’t necessarily see teens going through the items. We have received compliment cards thanking the teen staff for providing these resources.

This is our small but mighty resource center. Each drawer is organized with different items. We restock it regularly. 

In conclusion…

I was happy to see how much my library does in terms of inclusive services. I think that hyperlinked communities build rapport and real connections with people. By offering participatory services, we are better serving our communities and ourselves.

References: 

Hasan, T. (2023, June 27). “free, non-judgemental, accessible”: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and Wellness. SBS Bangla. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/bangla/en/article/free-nonjudgmental-and-accessible-how-your-local-library-is-a-sanctuary-of-health-and-wellness/t15blzsi9