In reading about hyperlinked libraries and communities over the last couple weeks, I can’t help but recognize the theme of accessibility and inclusivity  throughout the articles and other materials.  At its heart, hyperlinked libraries and communities revolve around the idea of connection, communication, and creativity, and they inherently promote the idea of libraries expanding their reach to include more people and populations.

I appreciated how Lauersen explains the differences between diversity and inclusion, writing that “Diversity is being invited to a party. Inclusion is being asked to dance” (Lauersen, 2018). Of course, diversity in libraries is important, especially in the contexts of representation of marginalized identities through library materials’ authors, characters, and library staff. However, the presence of diverse people and library materials  isn’t enough  to sit back and call it a day. Inclusivity is an active process that necessitates consistent efforts to ensure that there is equitable access to information and library resources.

With the event of the COVID-19 pandemic and related shut downs of physical library services, many libraries put more emphasis into virtual and online library resources.  Although, this expansion of services contributes to library accessibility efforts outside of a pandemic setting as well. Many people face barriers to accessing physical library spaces for a miriad of reasons, such as transportation limitations, physical disabilities, or lack of childcare support. Online and virtual library services promote accessibility outside of a physical library setting, and Lauersen writes in a recent 2025 article about the use of bookmobiles and how they aid in library accessibility (Lauersen, 2025). I personally have a spot in my heart for bookmobiles and remember them fondly from my childhood, but they’re also an excellent tool to promote reading, literacy, curiosity, and education for our communities outside the walls of a physical library location. For people with limited internet access at home, bookmobiles can be a way to better fulfill the library and information needs of our underserved community members.

When many people think about or discuss the idea of a library, they are likely to picture a similar image. Whether it’s in a school, public, or otherwise, the common mental image of a library is a quiet building full of dusty books and librarians shushing anybody who dares to speak. They are often thought to be boring, outdated, uninteresting and unhelpful to anyone that isn’t a bookworm. While there are obviously going to be some libraries in the world that align closely with that description, we live in a world where there are countless options and interpretations of what a library can and should be.

Casey and Savastinuk discuss the changing modern library through the term “Library 2.0″ and describe it as ” a model for constant and purposeful change” that “empowers library users through participatory, userdriven services” and “seeks to improve services to current library users while also reaching out to potential library users” (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007). A huge aspect of the transition to the idea of Library 2.0  is the expansion of what a library can be and how this expansion can support a broader library community. At their core, libraries are not just storage facilities for books.  Libraries are a place for people to gather, learn, communicate, educate, and connect with their communities and the world at large.

Libraries in the modern day are adjusting and adapting in a variety of ways to improve access for the people that use them. Creekview High School veered from stereotypical library rules, formatting, and structure in order to best support their current students by utilizing technologies that they are familiar with and offering services to entice students to use the library (Mathews, 2010). For example, they directly instructed students to use their cell phones to participate in a library activity and provided a coffee hour to encourage students to check out the library  (Mathews, 2010). I appreciated how the librarians incorporated the use of technologies in their lessons that students are already familiar with, and often tech that they are limited from accessing in school settings, like cell phones. Strategies like this can help to bridge the gap in learning and communication between students and their librarians. These adjustments encourage more library engagement from the student population, as they allow more freedom and options for how students can learn.

Another recent development in libraries is the development of makerspaces. Makerspaces can consist of many different types of tools, technologies, and programs, including “crafting, painting, and more artistic endeavors; while others have an emphasis on technology with 3d printers, laser cutters, music studios, and computer programming” (Moorefield-Lang, 2015). Whatever type of resources are included, makerspaces provide engaging ways for people to learn and grow by using alternative strategies to reading written materials, viewing films, or listening to audio materials. “When makerspaces are incorporated into libraries, patrons are offered new opportunities to collaborate, learn through play, problem solve, build, investigate, and produce” (Moorefield-Lang, 2015). I believe that the use of makerspaces will only continue to grow in importance and significance in the library field going forward. They are a great way to remove barriers to knowledge and skills that people may not have otherwise. I know that often resources like these can be expensive for a single person to access on their own, so free or low cost access through libraries would greatly reduce the gaps in access that financial barriers create.

There are so many ways that libraries today differ from libraries in the past, and I don’t anticipate that these changes will slow down soon. If anything, I’d hope that my involvement in libraries through my career would encourage these changes to continue to support the needs and interests of my library’s community. Additionally, I’d like to encourage other libraries and their communities to adopt similar strategies and mindsets. Libraries exist to support not only the information needs of the people that use them, but to support the people themselves and the community that they have together.

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Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog, what I hope will become a cozy and comfy little corner of the internet. 🙂

My name is Gwen, I use they/them pronouns, and I am currently 27 years old. I live in the San Jose area and have most of my professional and academic experience in social sciences. I plan to become a college level social sciences librarian, and I’m hoping that this course will bring me another step closer to successfully achieving my goal!

This course interested me before the term started, and I’m even more interested now that we’ve begun! All my other MLIS classes have primarily used Canvas, so this is a very refreshing change of pace. I find myself learning so much about libraries and information science with every class that I take, and I imagine this course will follow the same pattern. I’m used to learning how to navigate new aspects of the internet and online environments (especially in the context of our rapidly changing and developing technological world), so I’m starting off this term with an open mind! The more opportunities I have to explore and learn new ways of libraries and librarianship, the better prepared I’ll be to serve my future library populations.

I’m excited to learn and grow with you all over the course of this term! Please feel free to send me a friend request and/or reach out if you want to chat at all. 🙂 I’m not only passionate about libraries, although I do love them! My other passions include hiking, video games, trashy reality tv, neuroscience, social activism, and my cats. 🙂