Month: July 2026

For the Wild Card Blog Choice, I decided to revisit Module 4 on participatory service and transparency. In “Revisiting Participatory Service in Trying Times” written by Michael Casey over a decade ago, he discussed the major struggles of libraries with regards to maintaining relevance, connecting with the community, and dealing with budget cuts (Casey, 2011). I find this article applicable to the post-COVID aftermath that introduced us to new normals such as Zoom University, remote work, and digital dependency. In times like now, it makes me wonder how libraries can stay connected despite these new global workflows.

“Technology doesn’t solve our problems, but it can be a conduit to making change and promoting progress” (Stephens, 2016, p. 81). Casey, in the aforementioned article, mentions Facebook as a major platform for announcements and events but not truly for direct interactions with the audience. WeChat, on the other hand, is a predominant digital platform that originates from China used for several social purposes such as sharing posts through the “Moment” page, direct messaging, blogging, money transfer, and other related services (Wang, 2017). I mention WeChat because, at Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library, that seems to be the primary app that patrons use; despite the library not having an official account on WeChat, the literacy department is heavily promoted through this social media platform on the learners’ “Moment” pages. 

Unbeknownst to me (and other library staff), our ESL programs have been inadvertently attracting quite the amount of learners through WeChat, and we know this through quarterly technology surveys completed by students. It truly feels that technology has extended beyond the reach of the library, and the learners themselves have become passive hosts of our ESL programs (Stephens, 2016). In a post-COVID world, it is refreshing to see new ways for communities to participate in structures of change, and WeChat is something that libraries with high Asian immigrant populations can look into. To end on an interesting note, one learner has divulged to me that they have chats dedicated to “rating” staff and volunteer teachers, much like “Rate My Professor”… terrifying.

References

Casey, M. (2011, October 20). Revisiting participatory service in trying times—a TTW guest post by Michael Casey. Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2011/10/20/revisiting-participatory-service-in-trying-times-a-ttw-guest-post-by-michael-casey/  

Stephens, M. (2016). The heart of librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change. ALA Editions. https://www.dropbox.com/s/gc9ecokb972xgil/HeartofLibrarianship.pdf?dl=0  

Wang, Y. (2017, March 9). How WeChat grows into a huge part of our life. DSM News. https://annenberg.usc.edu/communication/digital-social-media-ms/dsm-today/how-wechat-grows-huge-part-our-life

After completing the Innovation Strategy & Roadmap, I went back to Module 8 on New Models to do a deeper dive into the required readings and content. Many of my classmates used the concept of hygge  (pronounced “hoo-ga”) in their presentations, and it loosely translates to “coziness” from the Danish language (Stephens, 2019, p. 63). Stephens offers another definition from Joe Pickard that resonated deeply with him, and it depicts hygge as the art of building a community and sense of belonging (Stephens, 2019). 

In my three years of experience working in public libraries and in the literacy department, I have seen learner communities form through consistent library programming; this shows me that libraries are more than just quiet, individualized study spaces. In the Q&A with Eric Klinenberg, he gives a personal anecdote about Chicago libraries and how they function as voting centers for citizens. Additionally, Klinenberg also categorizes libraries as critical social infrastructures that function as a third place for people to find refuge outside of their homes (Gaetani, 2018). When our literacy students are not attending classes, they are utilizing the literacy center and chatting with fellow classmates about classroom assignments, talking about how they did on the most recent tests, and gossiping about our ESL teachers. This is a dynamic community that we are building in our library!

In the same module on New Models and the concept of hygge, there is a YouTube video titled “Salt Lake City Library hosts Homeless Tai Chi”. It reminds me of a recurring event that my community has at the Alhambra Civic Library called “Tai Chi & Chairs” where an instructor is invited to teach mindfulness, meditation, and balance through the art of tai chi every month for an hour; to make it more accessible for older patrons, there are chairs added for extra stability. Like much of the content presented in this module, this program is built around comfort and instills joy in many of the attendees. 

References

Alhambra Library. (n.d.). Tai chi & chairs. https://alhambralibrary.org/event-series/tai-chi-chairs 

Gaetani, M. (2018, November 11). Q&A with Eric Klinenberg. Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. https://casbs.stanford.edu/news/qa-eric-klinenberg 

Stephens, M. (2019). Wholehearted librarianship: Finding hope, inspiration, and balance. ALA Editions. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ecd6261aqkdgunc1w0ll2/StephensWholehearted_Updated2025v2.pdf?rlkey=f2mblnzua5xtx0hoot5pyergq&st=0h2niiox&dl=0 

The Salt Lake Tribune. (2017, March 2). Salt Lake City Library hosts homeless tai chi. [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPCnWosz9HU 

The readings in Module 6 on Hyperlinked Museums, Galleries & Archives reminded me of an interaction I had with a staff member when I visited the Art Institute of Chicago. I had difficulty locating Grant Wood’s American Gothic (1930) and asked the nearest staff member for directions. He simply said, “You should download the app.” Needless to say, I was a little taken aback by the brevity of his response because I expected him to direct me to the room using the map I had in my hand. His impersonal response made me realize two things: 1) this museum is very cool for having an interactive app, and 2) staff are so dismissive here! 

I did not end up downloading the app (because I was nearing the end of my visit and had zero signal), but it made me think about new ways of learning in museums that transcend object-based exploration. In “How does learning happen in museums”, the writers talk about using technology to understand how learning happens in museums and how it can enhance visitors’ experiences (Oliveira and Barba, 2018). In their study, they identified two main groups of museum-goers: the highly engaged group and the less engaged group. Through Bluetooth technology, researchers were able to capture information about participant interaction with specific exhibits and create personalized guides to navigate visitors across installations. 

For instance, the Art Institute app has a location-aware interactive map and audio storytelling; it has a search function that enables users to learn more about a specific piece of artwork and a list of featured tours. The app comes in various languages to accommodate international visitors. In “How technology is bringing museums back to life”, Charr emphasizes that “[t]echnology shouldn’t be an enemy of culture” but rather an asset that can help museums increase focus on their collections (Charr, 2020). I can definitely see the appeal of museum apps and how they can assist visitors when tour guides are not present. Sometimes, people prefer listening to audio guides rather than reading museum descriptions on dull placards. Technology is a useful tool when implemented correctly. 

References

Art Institute of Chicago. (n.d.). Mobile app & audio tours. https://www.artic.edu/visit/explore-on-your-own/mobile-app-audio-tours 

Charr, M. (2020, June 17). How technology is bringing museums back to life. MuseumNext. https://www.museumnext.com/article/how-technology-is-bringing-museums-back-to-life/ 

Oliveira, E. A. & de Barba, P. (2018, December 18). Bluetooth technology has helped reveal how visitors explore museum exhibitions, and how much they learn in the process. Pursuit. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/how-does-learning-happen-in-museums