Reflection #2: Hyperlinked Environments: AI & ChatGPT

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Donna

AI isn’t new, but it has become more and more relevant to academia and to libraries. Enter ChatGPT. Although I had heard about ChatGPT and know of it, I never used it (this statement held true up until I starting writing this reflection. This statement is no longer true as of writing typing this sentence!)

With the art world in upheaval about AI art and the controversies that follow, (alongside the on-going debate of whether it’s original or if it’s considered “stealing”, as artists didn’t have much of a say of whether or not their art can be used), and the academia setting finding papers being written not by students, but by AI tools and technology, it’s hard to figure out just how to navigate and find a semi-working balance that allows for this to work out in the way we need it to: helpfully and efficiently.

With AI and ChatGPT now entering the chat, there are concerns, both good and bad, on how it’ll affect and impact individuals who are actively using it, and those who avoid it to not be “affected”, so to speak. I find that both sides have their pros and cons, but with the push towards a more technological age, where AI is becoming a part of the norm, perhaps it’s time to adapt. (If you can’t beat them, join them!)

When I was testing the waters with ChatGPT, I asked it this question: How do you think AI and ChatGPT will affect libraries in the future?

The reply it gave was a rather lengthy response so I said this instead:

 

As someone who is has been in the MLIS program for awhile now and have considered the ideas that ChatGPT had listed during my journey in the program, I am both overwhelmed and in awe at how quickly and “accurately” ChatGPT responded. This sets off a new way of “brainstorming” for ideas, especially when it comes to what libraries are going to look like in the future with the influence of AI. From what I can see, what ChatGPT has to say is not far-fetched at all. If used correctly, I believe that we can work alongside AI to truly increase accessibility and resources available to those who visit the library.

Despite the convenience of being able to simply rely on technology and AI like ChatGPT, it is best to remember that it should not be the immediate solution, and may, at times, not apply as a solution, but be more of a resource in some cases. I find that the guidelines Ethan Mollick set as expectations for his class (who are expected to use ChatGPT) to be rather relevant:

“AI is a tool”. And I agree with this statement. Use it as you will, but take it with a grain of salt.

It’s important to remember that technology and AI is developed using human expertise/information from people, which can have errors, misinformation, and biases. AI is not perfect. But neither are we. With that being said, I do think that we are beginning to see a shift in the library landscape when it comes to AI, but I believe it will be for the better, as I see it to be a tool and resource that will allow for us to better serve and create spaces for those who visit and use the library.

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Reflection #1: Hyperlinked Libraries

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Donna

Libraries are meant to be inclusive. They’re spaces made by both the community and by librarians, built upon conversations and actions taken to make them into what they are today. In my mind, I associate the concept of the hyperlinked library with people coming together into a space where they are free to express themselves and learn, where constant exchanges of ideas and concepts take place either within a formal or informal conversation (some going beyond words).

As I was thinking about how to go about my reflection for this topic, I recalled a TED talk I had viewed previously that was given by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Adichie talks about the concept and the dangers that come with knowing only one side of a story, and says, “the single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story”(13:20). I love this quote because libraries and those who use and interact with them cannot be defined by a single story, and I say this because I feel that libraries are often seen as such by those who do not know the whole story (enter the guy who mentioned libraries should be replaced with Amazon stores). Because libraries are more than a single story, it’s always evolving. Libraries grow as the community grows. We influence each other. Help one another. And in a way, we complement each other.

Just like the Paint-by-Number mural that was happening at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts 🙂 (Perhaps we will see something similar to this happening at a library in the future, but likely on a smaller scale). I wanted to bring this up as art can also be a form of communication, and I find events like these, where the community works together to create one complete art piece, to be a good representation of the relationship that is hyperlinked libraries and what we strive to both do more of and see more of.

Picture from All Ears (refer to references)

However, it is also important to remember that not all libraries (and their spaces) are the same. Our understanding of libraries come from our own experiences and those we directly interact with and learn from, but going beyond on a more global scale can lead to new discoveries in which we find that information and community needs can be very different. Understanding what our community needs allows us to better serve them, so although not all libraries may necessarily have all the same program and events, it is the active way in which libraries and communities are together and working with each other to create a space that is open for all that allows for the hyperlinked library to exist and become the norm, continuing to grow and evolve with time.

 

References

Funko, R. (2021). Finished starry night mural [online image]. All Ears. https://allears.net/2021/01/09/the-interactive-paint-by-number-mural-at-epcots-festival-of-the-arts-is-back/ 

TED. (2009, October 7). Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of the single story [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg 

 

 

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Assignment X: The Evolution of Libraries (and their spaces)

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Donna

Libraries are more than just books. They have evolved to be more than just places to read— they serve as places to interact, to create, and to actively be involved with the community. It’s a space meant for everyone. 

Graphic from: https://www.hafuboti.com/lafelibrary/

But that brings into question: What does that really mean, and what does that entail? And just how, exactly, has library spaces continue to change to include “everyone”?

As I was reading Schneider’s (2006) “manifesto”, a line (or two) that really stood out to me was:

1.”you cannot change the user, but you can transform the user experience to meet the user”

2.”information flows down the path of least resistance. If you block a tool the users want, users will go elsewhere to find it”

The first quote I mentioned made me think of the things that libraries have been doing to shift user understandings of libraries spaces and how by creating and making specific spaces and resources available, it has changed how things are operated— for the better. The stance and approach that libraries have started to take is shifting the way we understand and define libraries, truly transforming them into a “hyperlinked” space where both users and staff are working together as a community to create waves while putting new technology to use.

One such example is SF Main Library’s “The Mix”, a teen space that was made exclusively for teens (with teen input), and boasts a space that provides teens a space to be relaxed and chill (O’Brian, 2019). They also offer various services, such as 3D printing, frequent programming (from writing workshops to guitar lessons), a video booth, a sound booth (for mixing your own tunes), among other things. Makerspaces are becoming more and more common in library settings, and provides a learning and crafting space for those who may not have had access to one before. These changes and inputs being made to library spaces goes on to show just how the smallest ripples can lead to the biggest changes.

I find Schneider’s second quote to go hand in hand with the first, seeing as libraries would both be considered the place with the least resistance (i.e, banned books being made available), but also a place that information can be blocked (outcries from the community on certain books/topics/subjects). That doesn’t mean that libraries don’t try to ensure that resources are made available, just that it may take time or alternative routes and methods may have to be used. Libraries can be the endpoint for information searching, but it can also be a jumping board to link one to other resources outside that one may have never thought about. It’s a space that connects patrons, community members, and resources (technological or not) that may have never popped up otherwise.

@michael writes, ” Technology doesn’t solve our problems, but it can be a conduit to making changes and promoting progress” (p.81). It’s fascinating how far technology has come and how they can serve to be a link to community interaction and participation. Prior to learning about Dokk1 and the tube bell that rings in the newborns, I didn’t even know that such a thing could be possible (Cavanagh,2016). And yet, although the concept challenges everything we know about libraries (at least for me), it also brings to the forefront of how technology (a single press of a button on a device) can connect and bring into participation such a joyful event to be shared with the community. Arguably, it even goes beyond even that, as without technology, I would not even be able to share the Youtube video of the bell ringing with you all.

 

(The bell toll starts at 0:29)

As I reflect back on what I have learned thus far and how that will affect me in the future as an information professional, I find that it’s important—and always will be, to understand and be aware that the field is constantly evolving and changing. Libraries themselves are constantly changing. What we know to be certain now may change in the future, but that doesn’t mean that we should be scared of change. The legacy that librarians leave behind helps us step closer to patrons and users of the library space, bringing together the community in ways that we wouldn’t understand without actively communicating with our community. Library spaces are a co-creation process: it’s a continuous conversation in which we repeatedly ask these question: How do we bring people (and our community) together? What can we do to involve people? What services do they want to see? How can WE serve them better?

It’s also important to remember that it’s precisely because we are information professionals that we are there to support and provide service as needed for our community members. Libraries are spaces that are open to everyone, and allows for patrons to learn, to share, and to participate. We are there to provide patrons with the resources they need and be the bridge that will help them to travel to their desired destination, wherever that may be.

 

References

Cavanagh, M. (2016, December 16). A library from the future arrives in Denmark. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-20/a-library-from-the-future-arrives-in-denmark

O’Brian, C. (2019, June 24). How San Francisco’s public libraries are embracing their changing role. Shareable. https://www.shareable.net/how-san-francisco-public-libraries-are-embracing-their-changing-role/

Schneider, K (2006). The user is not broken: A meme masquerading as a manifesto. Free Range Librarian. https://freerangelibrarian.com/2006/06/03/the-user-is-not-broken-a-meme-masquerading-as-a-manifesto/

Skejbybaby. Gongen lyder i DOKK1 på Aarhus havn. (2015, August 19). [Video]. Youtube.

Stephens, M. (2016). The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change. https://www.dropbox.com/s/gc9ecokb972xgil/HeartofLibrarianship.pdf?e=1&dl=0

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Introduction post!

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Donna

Hello everyone, I’m Donna, and it’s nice to meet you all!

I’m happy to accompany you all on the journey as we learn more about the hyperlinked library 🙂 One of the main reasons why I choose this class was because I am actually very interest in topic and wanted to learn more about it. At the same time, I also wanted to know how we can continue to contribute to this open shared space between libraries and users.

When I was first looking at classes that were available this semester, the word “hyperlink” itself caught my eye— it reminded me of a class I took in my undergrad, which was called “Electronic, Hypertext, and Multimedia Literature”. One of the more complex and very confusing books that I had to read for that class (and somehow managed to finish the entirety of the book despite its seemingly endless footnotes that cited yet more footnotes and made absolutely no sense at times) was House of Leaves. A quick search on the internet (if you are curious) will show just how far down of a rabbit hole this book can lead you.

Since that book was rather lengthy and confusing, I will share a short “text” that you can interact with here, titled: My Body, A Wunderkammer, (another seemingly endless rabbit hole, but hypertext/link style. I promise it’s less confusing than House of Leaves.)

Warning: it can get “personal” and may be uncomfortable to some, so please make sure you read the summary to decide whether or not you want to interact with the linked text!

In regards to my interests in the LIS field, as of last semester, I am now questioning where I want to go— I initially thought that the public library route might be my calling, but after taking a class in archives, I’m now uncertain as to where I may end up…

Apologies for the lack of photos— I’m a rather camera shy person, so please picture me as the avatar you see for my profile 🙂  (Credits to my friend for drawing me in the style of one of my favorite characters!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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