This week’s readings gave me a lot of creative ideas about ways that libraries can support their communities in ways other than providing books and written materials. The concepts that stuck out the most to me were related to food access and food literacy in library settings.

I’ve written before about the concepts of food pantries in libraries, and now my eyes have been opened to even more possibilities. Ewen’s article about mobile kitchens was especially interesting to me because it combines the mobility of a bookmobile with the food access support of a food pantry. I also appreciate that the mobile kitchen incorporates education and food access into one program. I’m a big supporter of libraries helping people to develop skills, especially those that can be utilized for employment or bettering quality of life, and cooking skills are a great example of this. Kitchen skills have potential to be make or break for someone that’s looking for a job, and I say this as someone with extensive food service experience. Often times, a critical portion of interviews for kitchen staff positions is demonstrating knife skills, food safety knowledge, and other parts of safely and responsibly working in a kitchen environment. Resources like a mobile kitchen could drastically improve someone’s chances of employment.

Additionally, Ewen highlights the significance of providing food directly to people that need it via a mobile kitchen. A food pantry is a great resource that shouldn’t be taken for granted, however the mobile kitchen provides even more food access in the same way that libraries are a great resource but bookmobiles only increase their reach. This increase in geographical reach is especially impactful when thinking about food access in the setting of food deserts, something Ewen points out in her article as well.

As we move into the future and experience new barriers and limitations to our community support resources, we can all benefit from thinking creatively about new ways we can make our resources stretch. I’m now thinking about other ways that bookmobiles and mobile kitchens can broaden access to resources across a community. It’ll be exciting to move into the future and see more types of resources that become mobile, potentially including things like mechanical/construction tools or instruments, but I’m going to keep an open mind and stay curious to other ideas as well.

I’ve been reading about hyperlinked academic libraries and am again inspired by the concepts of access and accessibility in library settings. In the context of academic libraries, I found myself particularly drawn to the article by Linda Spice that highlighted the impact of food insecurity and food access on the academic success of students (2019). Spice’s article also demonstrated the ways that libraries can support students experiencing food insecurity, something I personally relate to from my own undergraduate experience (2019). I was heavily reliant on the food bank hosted by my college in undergrad, however it was somewhat difficult to access in my experience. The information was vaguely available online, however the food bank’s hours of operation were often out of date. Additionally, it was located in a part of campus I rarely visited, in a basement level room difficult to find without specific directions or assistance. I would’ve loved to have something like it in a library setting, as I used the library often and was quite familiar with the resources available. Libraries are a part of colleges that are accessible and often frequented by students on campus regardless of their major or classes. The amount of foot traffic in libraries makes them an excellent place to house resources or information on how to access resources. I’d love to implement a resource like this in a future academic library I work in, and the idea also inspires me to think of similar resources that could be housed in library spaces, like a free clothing exchange closet space. The definition of a library and what it entails is changing all the time, and that gives us an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the ways we can utilize libraries to support our communities. 

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.