I wanted to talk about hygge in a previous blog as it had come up in a reading, but at the time, other topics had caught my attention. As Hygge came back, and several times in this module, I did want to sit down (well, I was already seated), take a warm cup of tea, place a blanket over my legs, and put on some ambiance sounds…

I learned about it a few years ago while browsing The Little Book of Hygge in a store. I was drawn to it. The coziness, and mainly the slowness. Many of us live hectic lives: schedules, deadlines, places to go to, endless list of things to do, etc. The more time goes, the more I feel like practicing hygge becomes difficult to do, and feels like a luxury when we are eventually able to do it. While it should not. It is a necessity to regularly slow down and appreciate a good book, a coloring artwork, or sip a warm beverage by a fireplace. Stephens says that “promoting comfort, a sense of belonging, quiet, and coziness for our users, will serve as an equalizer of sorts, balancing our “living out loud” times with a bit of warm and fuzzy” (2019). In this sentence, the word “equalizer” resonates louder than any other for me. As I am sitting here in a quiet and comfortable spot in my apartment, I know that everyone does not have that luxury. And I believe our libraries should provide this for their patrons: a space in which they can rest, recharge, and reset before sometimes being thrown back in the tumult of their lives. People deserve a time during which they can connect to a story, to an idea that they’re reading more about, or just connecting to themselves. Libraries are a pathway to knowledge , the one you find out in the world, but they should also help with the knowledge and comfort you can find within yourself. And I think that is what hygge can mean.

Furthermore, because I am an Inspiring teacher librarian, I always try to think of ways to get teens to engage with literacy. Teenagers are very attracted to moods/vibes. I play different kinds of ambiance music in my classroom during individual work (witchy vibes in October, blizzard storm or a crackling fire in the winter, …). They love it.  Similarly to the revival of dark academia, I think that this type of space would be very appealing and inspiring to some of them. 

PS: And to just display how à propos this topic came about: I bought a hygge coloring book at the beginning of summer break!