reflection on hyperlinked environments: looking around the globe

For this module’s adventure I debated between the research and current issues section and the the global libraries section. On one hand I have a lot to say about the emerging technologies (especially AI, VR and AR technologies) and how they impact libraries. However, I am much less familar with the global scheme of libraries, and thought it would be valuable for me to get some perspective.

Themes from this module (CYOA: global communtiies) that piqued my interest:

  • Libraries are community centered spaces with emphasis on meeting human needs.
  • Libraries may rely on quality partnerships to successfully meet said needs.
  • Libraries must be in tune needs specific to their community.
  • Categorization relying on local conventions may be more appropriate than the DDS and other systems of organization we’ve adopted in the US for remote regions.

Dokk1 and the importance of Partnerships

I have seen snippets of content talking about Dokk1 before but reading about it in this module has lead me to add it the top of my must-visit libraries list. I especially liked Dokk1’s project leader’s description from Morehart’s article:

Ostergaard described Dokk1 as the “living room of the city,” and as such it was less focused on books and more focused on human needs, providing space for performances, meetings, children’s activities, art installations, and general public gatherings.

Aside from the meticulously planned interior that holds space for community activity, the Dokk1 also has light rail connection and automated underground vertical parking making it easy to access. It’s obvious that there was a lot of thought and consideration (and funding !) that went into the executing this project in a manner that caters to the needs of many folks. Below are two of the slides that caught my attention from Marie Ostergaard’s slide show Dokk1: a place for people.

 

I appreciated the mash-up library diagram because it highlights how much of the libraries services may rely on partnerships and outsourcing resources. The library acts as a hyperlink effectively connecting the community to these service providers. One of the more modern and impressive libraries I’ve been to in recent times that showcases this is the Hayward Public Library. Much like the Dokk1, HPL’s facility provides much space to gather, interact with art, learn and connect. One my favorite features though, was a cozy private office room titled the Community Hub. According to their webiste the Community Hub is HPL’s “full-service, one-stop resource center for patrons” to access the city and the community partners’ services.

It seems that between Dokk1, the Hayward Public Library, and the Deichman Bjørvika, the idea of a successful library is simple: ample partnerships, various opportunities for cultural and community activities, and a facility to support it. I was initally surprised by the similaries among the ‘cool’ features I noticed from these different libraries. I like to think / hope that libraries around the world are taking inspiration from one another to constantly improve and shape shift with the times.

A note on the Dewey Decimal System

I’ve had classmates point out the outdatedness and bias of the dewey decimal system and it’s been in the back of my mind for some time. What are other ways we could categorize our media? One solution that was mentioned in this module is to replace it with categories that are more meaningful to the local community. The Galiwin’ku library’s approach to prioritise the local culture shows their dedication to support to their community by tailoring to their needs.

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reflection on hyperlinked communties: libraries at the center

Themes from this module that piqued my interest:

  • Libraries are safe spaces that are well positioned to impact the health and well-being of their community members.
  • Libraries can expand their services and user base by applying non-traditional approachs to circulation that build on top of their traditional services.
  • The digital divide persists but it looks different than it used to.
  • Libraries already are and have great potential to be a “central node” in a hyperlinked community.

The Prevailing Brand of Libraries: Books

A few months back I had a mildly frustrating conversation with an aquaintance of a friend. After hearing that I’m pursuing an MLIS, he asked what my thoughts were on the future of libraries and whether I thought “libraries were going to be obsolete” and whether “librarians” as a job would cease to exist. I think such questions are completely valid and that we should look ahead and consider how various factors may change libraries as we know them. What was frustrating though, was that the more we spoke it became clear that this person had a completely different idea and understanding of what a “library” is and does. His idea of libraries were simple: libraries house some books that you can check out. As we move towards more digital materials and synthesized materials become popular (as in people may opt for AI-generated summaries rather than read raw materials themselves) people will not borrow anymore books. Goodbye libraries ! Womp womp.

This reminded me of the lecture from module three (timestamp 15:23) where professor Stephens referenced OCLC’s finding that people strongly associate libraries with books, and may not consider the library for services beyond that. This was followed by some forbes writer’s comment that “Amazon should replace local libraries to save taxpayers money.” In his (not the forbes writer but the acquaintance of a friend’s) defense the last time he went to a library was four years ago at his university, and before that the library he was familar with was in a different country where he described it to be “dark and gloomy.” Luckily I had to opportunity to to gently inform this person that in fact, libraries have a lot more to offer than books (at least the ones I’ve been to) !

Libraries beyond Books

r/MadeMeSmile - No snakes at the library

a screenshot of Pflugerville Library’s facebook post that I encountered on instagram

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assignment x: play around find out

One overarching theme that drew my interest in the earlier modules’ content was the importance of play. This theme has popped up in previous coursework as well—in my information retrieval course (INFO 202) my professor made it clear for one of the assignments that we were required to have fun while explored an IR topic of choice and created media to represent and share our learnings. This ended up being my favorite assignment from the course, as it encouraged me rabbit hole dive into a topic that I was already intending to do so out of personal curiosity. The power and value of play in learning was later confirmed to me in my information literacy and teaching course (INFO 254) . We discussed how reframing research assignments to be about being curious and encouraging exploration could tackle motivation challenges and encourage better outcomes.

I’ve included a rendering of a meme (courtesy of imgflip) that I envisioned once I realized that play is yet again an important theme as I explore the Hyperlinked Library. Starting with the quote that Professor Stephens included in lecture:

The best folks in libraries that I know “are those who find in their jobs, whatever they may be, the excitement and adventure that reward only the adventurous in spirit”.

Patricia Paylor, The Heart of the Matter, 1957

Despite being a dated quote, I think this statement holds true not just for library folk but for people in general. In more recent slang I might call this “childlike wonder” or “whimsy,” but the root concept is the same. Those who are open to exploring the world and leading with curiosity are rewarded with knowledge and a wider perspective of the world.

From what I could gather from Buckland’s manifesto on redesigning library services (1999) and Matthews’ call to academic libraries to think like a start up (2012), while the context of the writing has changed, the core idea overlaps. Both urge libraries to not only use emerging technologies to do current services better (substitution), but to explore outside of the library’s status quo and provide new services that better the library (beyond substitution; think clean floors not better vacuums). You could imagine my excitement when I watched the lecture for module 3 where “play” was mentioned as one of the six senses highlighted by Daniel Pink and Thomas and Brown was quoted: “Play is the basis for cultivating imagination and innovation.” All these concepts connected in my head in a light bulb moment as I realized that play is a necessary factor in the Hyperlinked Library model for libraries to grow and adapt with the changing times.

At the same time, play will be important to incorporate within library services and the creation of new versions of libraries to come. It’s also worth mentioning that we as students of the Hyperlinked Library (INFO 287) are also participating in a big act of play as we explore the future of libraries through the hyperlinked library model. It’s all very meta. The library is everywhere. Play is everywhere.

*note* I decided to title my assignment “play around find out” as in “fuck around and find out” but I changed it up in case not to offend anyone. I think the original slang might have some negative connotation about receiving negative consequences for making poor choices,  but to me the phrase is much more literal: experimenting and experiencing more will naturally lead to more varied outcomes. In my head I connect this phrase closely to “play” and “exploration,” so I thought it’d be a fun title choice.

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hi, my name is rieko.

Hello INFO 287 class ! Surely I’m not the only one feeling a tad overwhelmed as we attempt to hit the ground running with summer session. I’ve always struggled a bit with transitions, so the beginning and ending of semesters I try to give myself extra TLC as I adjust to new routines. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to reading up everyone’s blogs this semester and learning about the Hyperlinked Library !

A Little Bit About Me

Here’s a collage I created for when I first had to introduce myself in INFO 203 back in Fall 2024. I had to compress this image to be under 2mb to meet the upload requirements, which has caused a lot of color banding (I had to look up the term for it). It’s a simple concept but it never occured to me that I could just compress any image to get that effect! Anyways, this collage is almost a year old but I like to share it because I think it represents me pretty well—I like flowers, clouds, collecting library cards, pokemon, pikmin, sweet pastries, and coffee ! Feel free to reach out to me via email if any of these strike your interest as well.

A Little Bit About the Grove

Last night I was contemplating about what to name my blog. I can get pretty indecisive about naming things as if it’s a big permanent decision like getting a tattoo. I closed my eyes and tried to visualize what I think about the hyperlinked library and immediately thought of trees. I’m not sure what the trunk of the tree would represent, but I think branches and roots and root systems that connect with other trees can be a decent visualization for how online resources link to one another. I liked the ring of the word “grove” so here we are now !

Best of luck to my fellow classmates and have great first week(end) of summer session !
(❁´◡`❁)

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