I had an amazing time in this course and appreciated any conversations that I was able to have with classmates. I cannot wait to use what I have learned in my (hopefully) future career as a public librarian. Below is my final reflection. I hope that you enjoy!
If you are having trouble seeing the image above, please click here to see the PDF.
For this inspiration report, I was heavily inspired by participatory service and the power of stories. Something that I care deeply about is trying to understand others by listening to them. I think that people would truly understand one another at least a little more if more respectful and open conversations were had. This Inspiration Report came about from those ideas. Hope you enjoy!
If you’re having trouble seeing the above report, you can access a PDF here.
“How we help people make sense of a very confusing technological world filled with information streams will be oner [sic] of our primary duties.” – Michael Stephens (2014)
With technology being an everyday part of our lives, digital literacy skills are important for everyone to learn. This is where many public libraries come in. They are no longer only repositories of books where people come in to learn on their own, but are now also classrooms where community members can come to learn together. Take the Chicago Public Library (CPL) as an example. After conducting librarian and patron surveys, they found that many adults struggled with the skills necessary to be successful in this new, digitally-dependent world (Digital Promise, 2016). To fill this gap, they created Learning Circles. These learning circles are free study groups running for three to eight weeks with a facilitator covering a variety of topics from basic computer skills to learning about AI and include a plethora of other non-technology related courses. As @michael predicted in 2014, helping people make sense of this technological world is now one of the primary duties of libraries, particularly public ones.
But this learning does not just have to happen inside the library. “As our roles evolve, we become facilitators of learning that’s fluid, flexible, and centered on the user” (Stephens, n.d.). That means that sometimes, we also have to meet people where they are. We can see this in multiple ways – my favorite being the Biblioburro in Colombia that goes to rural communities to provide access to books. But a closer example to home is at the public library that I work at: our IT team visits a nearby senior living community to provide basic smartphone and computer help and classes. These services became available because of community feedback that let us know that this specific community wanted and needed basic digital skills classes but that many of them were unable to make it to in-library classes. We are now able to meet the needs of this community where they are. The library is still a classroom, but that classroom now also has the ability to provide learning everywhere either through travelling or technology.
Libraries have always been about providing access, but with access now including technology, our roles have to evolve to teach people how to use these resources too. Access to resources without knowledge on how to use them is not really access at all. In trying to embrace the idea of a Hyperlinked Library, we must always make space for learning inside and outside of libraries and always lead with the goal to connect with one another.
References
ayokaproductions. (2009, September 15). Biblioburro- the donkey library
. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTswmx9TQU
Digital Learning (2016, January 28). The library as a gateway to 21st century skills. https://digitalpromise.org/2016/01/28/chicago-public-library-the-library-as-a-gateway-to-21st-century-skills/
Nygren, Å. (2014). The public library as a community hub for connected learning. IFLA. https://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/1014/1/167-nygren-en.pdf
Peer 2 Peer University. (n.d.). AI for everyone. https://learningcircles.p2pu.org/en/signup/online-1533/
Peer 2 Peer University. (n.d.). Beginner computer class 101. https://learningcircles.p2pu.org/en/signup/blackstone-branch-chicago-public-library-1058/
Peer 2 Peer University. (n.d.). Learning circles hosted by Chicago Public Library. https://www.p2pu.org/chicago/
Stephens, M. (n.d.). Infinite learning: Learning everywhere. Info 287 – The Hyperlinked Library. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/infinite-learning-learning-everywhere/
Stephens, M. (2014). Ylibrary? Making the case for the library as space for infinite learning. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4zt1yliwb2ffzr8euix2p/YLibraryInfiniteLearning.pdf?rlkey=m0v6lkd43ufilkp5aktawhlpr&e=1&dl=0
I didn’t grow up with my parents reading me books but I still grew up listening to stories. I know that some people may get tired of listening to their parents’ stories about “back in the old days…” because many times a lecture follows. But I was always interested in that first part and sometimes it didn’t even come with a lecture. Sometimes it was just a story to share. One of my sisters and I love listening to stories about our parents’ youth, especially because our parents moved almost 1,500 miles from their home.
We particularly loved listening to our dad’s stories because they all feel so dramatic and intense: having to work since he was eight years old, dreaming about his grandmother saying goodbye to him after her passing, sleeping in a trailer home that was haunted, and many more! And our mom’s stories always made us laugh with her shenanigans as a youth. Why wouldn’t I want to listen to their stories? Not only were these stories entertaining, it helped my sister and me understand them more as people and not just Mom and Dad. That is the power of stories: understanding others.
Which is why what StoryCorps has done is so important. I have actually used it myself for a class while in undergrad to interview my mom about how she identifies and it was a fun way to get to more about that aspect of her life. While I only shared this with the professor, I appreciate that StoryCorps has created an app with the option to share stories to social media or to add stories to their online archive. It is also moving to see that they have worked with public libraries (Eberhard, 2018). The Human Library goes a step further by having in-person interactions with people within their own community.
“The public library shares the community with itself.” (Wentz, 2013)
The implementing of StoryCorps or a Human Library is a wonderful way to bring a community together and provide more understanding of one another.
Stories do not always have to come from books – they are everywhere. We just have to be willing to listen.
References
Eberhart, G. M. (2018, February 10). Sharing people’s stories: StoryCorps partners with public libraries. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/sharing-peoples-stories/
Wentz, E. (2013, April 2016). The human library: Sharing the community with itself. Public Libraries Online. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/human_librar/
“The public library is a center of public happiness first, of public education next. The necessity of the library, its great value to the community, should be urged by the local press, from the platform, and in personal talk.” – John Cotton Dana (1920)
I enjoyed listening to Pam Sandlian’s TED Talk (2013) about the relevance of public libraries in the 21stcentury. She provided many additional great examples of how far libraries have come in this century. My favorite example that she brought up (and that always amazes me) is how libraries can and have been early responders, such as the New York Public Library in Queens opening after Hurricane Sandy hit to distribute important resources (TEDx Talks, 2013). Truly astounding! Throughout this course, we have seen many more examples of what public libraries can do for their communities beyond providing media like books and movies, computer access, and the internet. These new models created by public libraries show us how truly indispensable libraries are to the public.
One of those amazing new models can be seen at the Salt Lake City Public Library (SLCPL) in Utah.
After noticing a gap in their ability to provide adequate help to all people that patronize the library, the SLCPL decided to hire a full-time licensed clinical social worker (Harkins, 2023). Nicole Campolucci was hired as the first Social Services Coordinator at SLCPL. This is something that is incredibly important considering that public libraries are one of few safe and welcoming spaces that any person can come to, especially those that do not have somewhere else to go. Although, not all patrons feel comfortable with this service that is creating a hub for those experiencing homelessness or those who have other psychosocial needs. The staff, however, is vocal that their mission includes “equal access for everybody” (Harkins, 2023). All public libraries should work towards that goal within their capacities.
The Salt Lake City Public Library has created something that truly exemplifies how public libraries have changed in the 21st century and how new models can be used to (or at the very least attempt to) help everyone in the community. Shouldn’t that be what we all strive to do?
References
Dana, J. C. (1920). A library primer. Library Bureau.
The City Library: The Salt Lake City Public Library System. (n.d.). [Photograph of the front of the Main Library]. https://about.slcpl.org/main-library
Harkins, P. (2023, June 20). Salt Lake City downtown library’s new social worker has already helped thousands. The Salt Lake City Tribune. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/06/20/salt-lake-city-downtown-librarys/
TEDx Talks. (2013, December 16). What to expect from libraries in the 21st century: Pam Sandlian Smith at TEDxMileHig [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa6ERdxyYdo
After reading about DOK Delft Library’s Life’s storyboard, I could not stop thinking about how great something similar would be in my hometown. It is a community with many immigrants (some of which are my parents and sisters) who have truly inspiring stories. It also made me think that maybe something like this would be able to inspire empathy and compassion for others.
Welcome to my Interactive Storytelling innovation and strategy roadmap. Hope you enjoy!
Info 287: Innovation & Strategy Roadmap by Esperanza
[Click on the link above if the embedded presentation is not showing.]
The public library’s mission has changed from a simple repository to a community center, where learning experiences, cultural resources, creative making, and community interaction take place.
Public libraries in Memphis, Tennessee could not be more perfect examples of how public libraries are more than simple repositories and are instead vibrant community centers. In his 2021 article “How Memphis Created the Nation’s Most Innovated Public Library”, Richard Grant writes about the changes that Memphis Public Library director Keenon McCloy made when she took on the position. One of the most impactful changes was the addition of their Cloud901 teenage learning facility that has a state-of-the-art recording studio, robotics lab, and video lab. These are things I never could have imagined a library having when I was growing up. Creating Cloud901 has provided a space for teenagers to brainstorm, create, or just hang out. They have helped cultivate a hyperlinked environment specifically for teenagers, who can be often forgotten or ignored in our communities.
First and second floor outlines of Cloud901 in Memphis, Tennesse
What I found most impactful, however, is that the city of Memphis chose to invest in their public libraries during a time when public library budgets all over the country were being slashed (Grant, 2021). It is absolutely heartwarming to see that cities are investing in public libraries and therefore their own communities. And these investments are not just happening in big cities. Take the public library I work for as an example, which is located in a small town in Colorado of less that 6,000 people: the town provided funding to buy two properties behind the library to expand it because they know that it is an investment for their community. With these new properties, they are hoping to expand the children’s and teen’s spaces and perhaps add a special tween space. I think that, even though the federal government has made a statement to museums and libraries that they are not a priority to them (as seen through the March 14th Executive Order Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy), communities big and small are or have already been investing in public libraries because they know that it is a community hub and not just a repository of books and other digital media. I’m excited to continue seeing how different communities create or expand hyperlinked environments in their public libraries!
References
Exec. Order. No. 14,238, 90 F.R. 13043 (2025). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-03-20/pdf/2025-04868.pdf
Grant, R. (2021, November). How Memphis created the nation’s most innovative public library. Smithsonian magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/memphis-created-nations-innovative-public-library-180978844/?fbclid=IwAR1KhgGc_cXHfCduhqGtJ1Wi5Y2jRho1yW1Q62QjCNC5o2Qs9eLeGnzqqIM
Memphis Public Libraries. (n.d.). Cloud901 features. https://www.memphislibrary.org/cloud901/features/
Memphis Public Libraries. (n.d.). Cloud901 teen learning lab. https://www.memphislibrary.org/cloud901/
Theeuwes, J. T. (2024, May 22). How public libraries are building community. Gensler. https://www.gensler.com/blog/how-public-libraries-are-building-community
P.S. What I have loved the last few weeks of this course is that I always leave at least one reading when a sense of renewed hope, which I very much need during these trying times.
I was immediately engaged with Danah Boyd’s “What World Are We Building?” article and how the Internet is both a platform for great social change but also a way “to manipulate people for capitalist gain”. It is interesting to see how much of that is still true today but expanded to a wider (worldwide) community. It’s disheartening to know that inequity, prejudice, and racism are still engrained into social media and search engines, just as Boyd pointed out almost ten years ago. And now it has also expanded through generative AI, something that feels has taken over much of our online and offline lives (MIT Sloan Teaching & Learning Technologies). Part of Boyd’s last statement in the article says, “We need those who are thinking about social justice to understand technology”. The great thing about today is (though we still have a lot of issues) that people are understanding and using technology to work towards social justice. It reminded me, in particular, of an activist that has used technology (through social media) to make positive change:
I remember first following noname (@nonamehiding on Instagram) in 2021 and discovering that she collects and sends free, radical and revolutionary books to different prisons for their book club. What started as an online book club in 2019 has transformed into having “20 book club chapters across the United States and 4 international chapters” and sending books to “1500 incarcerated members of the club” (Noname Book Club, n.d.). All for free! Her online activism is loud and making such an amazing difference. This is what I imagine when I think of a hyperlinked community: how an online book club can expand in such a way to reach over a thousand incarcerated people and many more people in book clubs across different cities. Incarcerated people are part of our community too and should be included when we think about community. noname is doing that and reminding us of why it is important. I also want to point out that they have a physical library now too: Radical Hood Library in Los Angeles, California with different events for their community!
Radical Hood Library’s June 2025 Calendar.
So, when initially reading “What World Are We Building?” , it felt like a dismal reminder that a lot needs to change. While that is still true today, I am happy that there has been a lot of change in the past nine years since she wrote the article. So much so, that I was immediately able to come up with an example of how social activists are using technology for the furtherance of social justice. I think that is something that we have to remember: hyperlinked communities are great catalysts for change and a way to lead with humanism. noname is someone that I feel leads with understanding and that is something that we, as information professionals, also need to do. As Loida Garcia-Febo (2018) so aptly stated, “Service steeped in humanism, compassion, and understanding should be the cornerstone of what we do, and why we do it, for all members of our communities, including the underserved”.
References
Boyd, D. (2016, January 25). What world are we building? Medium. https://medium.com/datasociety-points/what-world-are-we-building-9978495dd9ad
Garcia-Febo, L. (2018, November 1). Serving with love: Embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/11/01/serving-with-love/
MIT Sloan Teaching & Learning Technologies. (n.d.). When AI gets it wrong: Addressing AI hallucinations and bias. https://mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/basics/addressing-ai-hallucinations-and-bias/
nonane [@nonamehiding]. (2025, June 3). June Calendar 💜 [Image]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DKcboXgIaam/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Noname Book Club. (n.d.). Welcome to Noname Book Club. https://nonamebooks.com/
For this assignment, I wanted to focus on participatory service/culture and transparency. What does it mean for the community? What does it mean for the library?
Per Casey and Savastinuk (2007), participatory service means having mechanisms in “our structures through which both users and nonusers can participate in the service creation process” (p. 62). There needs to be a horizontal flow of ideas, rather than top-down. For the community (whether they are active patrons or not), this means that their voice can be heard in relation to programs and services that the libraries offer. For the libraries, it means that they are able to get almost instantaneous feedback about their community’s needs (if they take advantage of – and they should – the internet and social media).
In order for participatory service to work, however, there has to be trust between the library and community. When libraries earn the community’s trust, there are a myriad of benefits: “trust breeds loyalty,” loyal patrons are more likely to use the library more, and are more likely “to sing the praises of the library to neighbors and colleagues” (Schmidt, 2013).
One of the best ways to build trust is to be transparent with the community. As @michael (2016) aptly states, “The era of participatory culture demands that cultural and information professionals play an active, visible role in our communities” (p. 80). This means providing more library access to the community. Luckily, this does not have to be difficult to start. This is where the hyperlinked library can come into play and communities can connect with their libraries not only in person but also online. For example, the Waterboro Public Library (in East Waterboro, Maine) created blogs that allowed patrons to leave comments about their thoughts on library events and services (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007). While this no longer seems to be active, they do still have a Facebook page that is active and allows comments on posts. Having that online communication channel, whether through social media or blogs, can make a huge difference.
Libraries also have to break down barriers that prevent community members from making the most of their libraries. This is particularly true in a financial sense. One major barrier for some people are fines and fees. (I have actually heard people say before that they do not really use the library anymore because they are afraid of how much they owe from overdue fines!) Luckily, many libraries have been eliminating some of these financial barriers. In a 2022 Library Journal survey, they noted that U.S. public libraries that charged patrons overdue fines dropped from 92 to 36 percent (Gerber, 2022). In fact, the survey respondents stated that it led “to increases in patron satisfaction and participation and to staff morale” (Gerber, 2022).
Most importantly, when it comes to participatory service, libraries have to be open to change when there is feedback from the community. Because libraries are cultural institutions, they should reflect the communities they serve. This is something that I will continue to keep in mind while working at a public library. There has to be radical trust between community members and me (their librarian). Because, if they cannot trust me or any other fellow library aide, how will they be able to trust their library as an institution that is made for them? I also have to learn how to advocate for transparency and breaking down barriers for the community if management is unwilling to listen. Our communities are made up of people and it is our job as information professionals to lead with empathy and understanding of their needs. We always have to keep asking: how can we work with and listen to our communities to provide the best and most appropriate services that they need and want? Libraries are not about books or computers. They are about people.
References
Casey, M. E., & Savastinuk, L. C. (2007). Library 2.0: a guide to participatory library service. Information Today.
Gerber, A. (2022, September 28). LJ’s 2022 fines and fees survey shows a transformed landscape since 2017. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/Fine-Farewells-LJs-2022-Fines-and-Fees-Survey
Schmidt, A. (2013, November 5). The user experience: Earning trust. Library Journal.https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/earning-trust-the-user-experience
Stephens, M. (2016). The Heart of Librarianship. American Library Association.
Hello! I am Esperanza, writer for Thoughts for Your (Hyperlinked) Thoughts (please let me know if you get the reference!). This semester is exciting because I finally completed all the pre-reqs and get to choose electives that seem both fun and interesting and relate to my particular interest of study. One of those electives, of course, is the class. I chose to take this course in particular because of the importance of keeping up with emerging trends and technology, especially considering how fast technology is advancing and how quickly trends change. I also really appreciate the human-centered approach and focus on how we can work with technology while maintaining human connections and conversations.
I came into this program not knowing exactly what I was getting myself into, but excited to learn more. My goal in LIS is to gain more knowledge about public librarianship and youth services to hopefully be able to work in that field. I have been both pleasantly and sometimes overwhelmingly surprised by the amount of information and knowledge that this degree has provided so far and will continue to provide. I am looking forward to this course and learning more!