{"id":33,"date":"2026-07-05T20:53:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T20:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hopefullyhyperlinkedaworkinprogress\/?p=33"},"modified":"2026-07-05T20:57:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T20:57:59","slug":"reflection-blog-1-hyperlinked-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hopefullyhyperlinkedaworkinprogress\/2026\/07\/05\/reflection-blog-1-hyperlinked-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflection Blog #1 – Hyperlinked Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

In May of 2025 I attended my first library conference, the Massachusetts Library Association\u2019s annual conference. One topic in particular interested me and left me with an interaction that I won\u2019t soon forget. The title of the presentation was \u201cIndigenizing the Library,\u201d and the speaker talked about her culture and the history of indigenous cultures in America. She then related that to libraries and library work, and the need for libraries to consider indigenous culture in their collections, programs, and services. When it came time for questions, one member of the audience asked about how to reach people who don\u2019t know the library is available to them. A local library director answered the question by saying \u201cmeet them where they are.\u201d That phrase really stuck with me. I think part of her point was that librarians and libraries are so focused on bringing people through the doors and into the library that they forget to go out to the community and meet those who they serve in their own spaces. She was also saying that there might be some members of the community who don\u2019t feel comfortable walking into the library for various reasons, whether it\u2019s a language barrier, old overdue fines that they can\u2019t pay, negative experiences with the staff in the past, or any other reason. It\u2019s our job, our responsibility, to let the entire community know that they are not only welcome, but belong, in the library.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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My library is small and has very limited space for things like noisy programs or classes. As a result, we tend to offer fewer programs and services than neighboring libraries. This is something that I would like to see change; and I believe it can be changed by going out into the community and offering programs and services in other spaces. Laura Warner writes in her article “<\/span>Revolutionizing Public Libraries: Three Ways that Alternative Service Delivery Strategies Can Meet the Challenges of a Booming Population” <\/span>that as municipalities grow, infrastructure struggles to keep up with the demand. Many libraries are now seeking alternative ways to deliver services including things like <\/span>holds pick-up lockers<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>kiosks<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>book vending machines<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>pop-up libraries<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n(Worcester Public Library, 2026)\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 (Newton Free Library, 2026)<\/p>\n