An overarching theme amongst several of the readings was how to foster an attachment for community members to form with their libraries. Thus, adding a layer of personalization that makes patrons not only see the library as an institution that is a safe space, but as their safe space, creating a personal stake for community members. I loved seeing the images patrons generated with the #HuntLibrary campaign to deepen an attachment to the new library building. Utilizing a hashtag is an easy, user-friendly way to generate community involvement through social media while accumulating great visual components. Another great way to reinforce that attachment could have been to print those photos and display them in the library, or if they have a digital screen somewhere in the library, they could have created a rotating slideshow within the building to reinforce community members’ involvement and attachment to the new library. Seeing their own photos of the library on display for other community members reinforces a sense of pride and belonging to the space.
A local museum in my area did a similar art exhibit, where they offered free watercolor postcards to paint on site. We then had the option to take them home or allow them to be displayed in the exhibit, and then mailed to us once the exhibit closed. It was wonderful to sit with fellow art lovers and create a piece of my own, see it hang in a museum, and then receive it in my mailbox months later. The location was already one I love and support, but that interactive activity was something that endeared it to me even more, and I recounted the experience to many friends and passing strangers in conversation, even pitching a similar idea for one of my library programs.
The Root for Columbus tree idea, as shown through the Convening Community Conversations feature, adds another personalized layer of community interaction. It also fulfilled the role of outreach to those who may not have entered the library in the first place by being placed strategically around the town. Thus, allowing library staff to hear the “wishes” of patrons they may not typically hear from, further allowing them to improve upon programming for a wider spectrum of patrons. Similar programs this reminded me of are writing a wish for Lunar New Year celebrations or writing the names of past loved ones in honor of Day of the Dead, both of which my libraries have facilitated. These are great ways for community members to see their cultures reflected in their home branches and build that sense of belonging and pride in their library.
Dixon, J. A. (2017). Convening Community Coversations. Library Journal. Retrieved June 20, 2026 from https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CONVENING_COMMUNITY_CONVERSATI.pdf
NC State University Libraries. (2026, April 24). My #HuntLibrary. https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/projects/my-huntlibrary