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
@rzhu I love the example of the Tai Chi and the fact that you say it instills joy. Absolutely. That’s what we should be aiming for.