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
Hi @rzhu, that’s so interesting that WeChat is so significant to your literacy program attendance! The test prep center I used to work at actually joined WeChat when we discovered a similar trend, so we could more directly promote our services and interact with our customer base. I think this is also a good reminder that not everyone uses Facebook or Instagram as their main tool for info/communication, as immigrant groups rely on apps like WeChat, LINE, KaKaoTalk, and Telegram instead. If the library were to join these channels to engage with more of the community, I imagine it might help to have staff who can read/write these languages to run the accounts.
Super cool! WeChat is definitely a good way to target New Americans and notify them of community services. I find that many immigrants actually don’t use mainstream apps, so WeChat is a great alternative if your institution permits it. Thanks for the comment, @anitayjc
Hi Ruby, thanks for bringing up this topic! I’m surprised that a Monterey Park library doesn’t have an official WeChat account 🙂 What would need to happen in order for one to be approved?
I have used my personal WeChat for work (connecting with students and professors in a higher education setting) and have found myself removing contacts and chat rooms since leaving that job. Now I’m also terrified of the staff rating dialogue…
@jannaxzw I think it would require city approval for the library to have a WeChat account that staff can manage. Because the app is still heavily moderated by the Chinese government, I have qualms about using it for the literacy program. I have considered using my personal WeChat account, but like you mentioned, it might be a little awkward to remove myself from chatrooms or having to interact with patrons outside of work hours. Currently, we use Remind as an alternate service, and it seems to be working well so far! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Ohh I see… that makes so much sense! I hadn’t considered that, so thank you for explaining.