What is the idea? The Memory Lab is a digitization and storytelling initiative designed to support rural and suburban public library users, particularly older adults and those invested in local or family history, by offering tools and guidance to preserve their analog memories in digital form. This includes converting VHS tapes, photographs, slides, and audio cassettes into digital files that can be stored, shared, and archived. At its heart, the Memory Lab is not just a preservation station but a participatory platform for community storytelling. Drawing on the principles outlined in @michael‘s “Taming Technolust”, our Memory Lab is not about chasing the latest tools but about responding to genuine user…

When the NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Library Edition was published, it offered a snapshot of emerging technologies and shifting priorities poised to reshape academic and research libraries. Now, nearly a decade later, it’s fascinating to revisit its predictions not just to evaluate their accuracy, but to better understand the ongoing evolution of library identity. What strikes me most is how many of the report’s themes remain not only relevant, but urgent. Yet the pace of adoption has varied, with some transformations thriving, others stalling, and a few morphing into entirely new trajectories.  One of the most prescient trends identified in the report was the rise of patrons as creators. The…

In February I had the opportunity to visit the Central Library in Seattle, which like some of the Scandinavian libraries we have been exploring stands out as a marvel of architecture and innovation. In reflecting on the design and mission of the Seattle Public Library’s Central Library, I’ve been considering how it exemplifies the principles for the Hyperlinked Library we are developing in this class. Additionally, I want to refer to the IFLA’s Public Library Service Guidelines, particularly the first chapter on the purpose of the public library that frames the library as a democratic, innovative, and user-centered space. The guidelines emphasize that “the modern library is much more than…