There were so many great concepts touched upon in this module’s reading, but the one thing that stood out to me the most was how the library creates connections or bridges. Libraries can help to connect people to resources or they can help to connect people to other people.
THIS article mentioned a woman who travelled to Australia for what was meant to be a three month holiday (three hour tour?),
but because of COVID restrictions ended up lasting much longer. Can you imagine being on your own, away from friends and family, and having to be locked down on your own? She found a conversation group through a library and this group continued for some time which helped to push away some feelings of loneliness.
I was reminded of the old days of the AOL message boards. In 2002 I was a member of one for pregnant women due in the same month. I struggled with meeting people face to face due to being shy, awkward, and having social anxiety. These boards helped me to connect to other people, some of whom I’m still friends with today. We’re planning a get together this spring to celebrate the over 20 years we have known one another. Without them I would have been lost.
Loneliness is a scary thing sometimes and can be hard to overcome. Libraries help by giving people opportunities to connect. This may be your local library or one far away that you can connect to online. Many libraries get out into their communities to see what people want or need and try to get those programs or groups going.
It’s pretty amazing when you think about it- how libraries do so much for so many.
@deniseml I like your take on how library is create bridges and the story about the lady in Australia. I am so glad she had access to the chat group through the library. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to be on the other side of the world during the pandemic.