Please click on the link below to watch my presentation.
https://sjsu.instructuremedia.com/embed/79f4ba8a-0561-4902-976b-a4a019447d57
Symposium Script
Hello, I am Emily Mizokami and I am sharing my experience with INFO 287, The Hyperlinked Library.
The Hyperlinked Library course was quite a journey, academically and personally. I didn’t know quite what to expect from this course, but this challenging adventure culminated with some awesome opportunities to be creative and learn from my classmates.
The following is a breakdown of how I view the course and my progression through it.
Awareness
Through blogging I was able to explore themes throughout the course that both challenged me and gave me the space to reflect. All of my blog entries helped me to develop how I was to approach my role as an information professional, but one in particular, New Models, conjured up a memory that brought me to tears and will inform how I will interact with patrons, and others in my sphere, in the future. Seeing those kids playing on bookshelves during one of the course lectures reminded me of a time when Old Models of learning kept me from dreaming as a kid. My New Models blog helped me to see how important it is for us to reshape how we view learning, access, and exploration in library settings. I learned that blogging is therapeutic!
Competency
Next, we take a deep dive into course themes with Assignment X. I chose to focus my attention on transparency. I analyzed library fines and how they keep patrons out of the library for fear of being fined or not being able to check out more materials. While some libraries advertise as being “fee-free,” these messages are often misleading as many libraries still use a collection agency for books not returned. These fees tend to affect marginalized communities the most.
This Old Model of “we fine because we have always fined” goes against another theme of Hyperlinked Libraries, Radical Trust. We must break the barriers to learning and welcome everyone.
Literacy
With these competencies in foundational course themes, I had a level of literacy that enabled me to offer an Innovative Strategy and Roadmap. This is the part of the course in which I could really explore and get creative and have fun with finding an awesome technology or service trend for use in an institution of my choosing.
The freedom to think big with this project allows you to put this technology you’ve found wherever you want! With this free thinking comes innovation.
Why not use historically significant photos from an archival website to teach kids of all ages history when a program like DocsTeach, sponsored by the National Archives, offers free services to schools that include activities and support?
Mastery and Creation
And with these tools provided throughout the course: awareness through blogging, foundational reading, competency, literacy demonstrated through innovation and creativity, the hyperlinked apprentice is able to master these concepts and create an Inspirational Report that does just that–inspire.
This assignment provides a safe space to explore.
While this assignment presents you with four options based on course themes: Tech and Trends, Global Trends, The Power of Stories, and Infinite Learning, just about every one of those themes can be applied to our presentations. For instance, I did my presentation on introducing the use of scanners and interactive kiosks in libraries to enable patrons to upload their families’ stories and documents to the cloud at the library and then share them digitally for others to see on a large interactive kiosk at the library. Other patrons can click on a family’s story and learn about their neighbors–the people in their community.
While the technology is not new, it will be new to that library community!
Most families have a story that involves a global connection. This provides patrons global knowledge through stories-powerful stories.
This way of learning is the most memorable-the most infinite. Since these stories are digitized they will live on for decades.
ReflectionÂ
My biggest take away from the Hyperlinked Library is something I would not have grasped at the start of this course. As Michael says, “The Hyperlinked Library uses technology to engage the heart, mind, and spirit.”
Technology allows everyone to dream in ways we never imagined when it comes to sharing information. And isn’t that what we are all trying to do? Share information?
But we cannot do that without first understanding each other and having empathy for unique information needs and barriers.
I thank you all in Spring 2024 INFO 287 for the amazing blog posts and projects.
Thanks for the ride Michael.
Feel free to comment @emmizo