A library is defined by its community. As information professionals committed to practicing openness, self-reflection, and empathy, librarians will do their best to ensure that any new changes or additions take into account the needs and concerns of their community patrons. It’s important that those voices are heard and shared within the community. Stories recorded through narrative inquiry can provide information professionals with valuable insight on potential changes and perspective shifts for their location and the services they offer. That kind of inquiry can also be collected as a showcase project where the responses of the public are shared to commemorate a celebration or achievement as seen with the 140…

Thinking about the library in different ways as they explore literacy beyond books I have always wanted to be more comfortable with food at home. It’s difficult to try new things with food when you’re not the only one eating. If the family is not vibing with a new dish, then there goes an attempt with them trying anything with those ingredients. It sometimes gets to the point where the thought of dinner feels so tiring and I just want to get it over with. I don’t want that feeling to stick with me in life. I love the classic Mexican dishes my mom, my Abuellita, and my family have…

Exploring censorship and book bans: Entering a five year battle The topic of book bans and censorship was initially never on my radar. I was aware of its significance to librarians and its impact in the library profession, but I never gave it as much focus as other topics. I thought that concerns on censorship were already getting the attention it needed and I didn’t need to address that focus book bans got through news segments and articles. After all, it was already a popular topic that I assumed a lot of other students would write about. What could I contribute in my reflection if I chose to tackle censorship…

Promoting inclusion in our own library profession: More than a buzz word  There’s a lot of self-reflection that goes into library services. Specifically, when evaluating new or existing ideas geared around the library and its users.  What’s the best way to handle this? What can I do to make this process successful? Am I doing enough? These feel like questions I would prompt myself at the end of the day in my journal. Very true. However, these are the kinds of questions that should be considered when looking at our communities and how we can best create inclusive spaces. Inclusion is important. There isn’t a library professional who would disagree,…

A big hello to everyone who took the chance to see what my blog has to offer. 🙂 At the start of this hyperlib journey, I am accepting that my blog space will initially feel very bare bones – it’s a work in progress. Throughout this course, I intend to give this site the love it deserves. I have been planning to take this course ever since I heard about the concept of hyperlinked libraries back in INFO 200. Being able to dive into this specialized topic with Dr. Stephens as my professor once again is a big plus. I have always appreciated his sincerity and dedication to us students.…