{"id":27,"date":"2026-06-20T05:38:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T05:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/?p=27"},"modified":"2026-07-03T02:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T02:04:09","slug":"assignment-x-if-the-user-is-the-sun-then-we-must-be-the-planets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/2026\/06\/20\/assignment-x-if-the-user-is-the-sun-then-we-must-be-the-planets\/","title":{"rendered":"Assignment X: If the user is the sun, then we must be the planets!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/span> Photo by Robert Bye<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2006, Karen Schneider published a post titled <\/span>\u201cThe User Is Not Broken: A meme masquerading as a manifesto\u201d<\/span><\/a> on her blog, the Free Range Librarian. A particular thought from her discussion stood out to me, and that is \u201cthe user is the sun\u201d. For this assignment, I want to dig deeper into this notion and reflect on this concept exactly two decades after Schneider\u2019s post.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How is the user \u201cthe sun\u201d?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>\u201cThe User Is (Still) Not Broken\u201d<\/span><\/a> written by Bryan Kenney in 2014, the author expands on the idea of the user being the sun as depicted in Schneider\u2019s post. He emphasizes that libraries should focus on the people and how they interact with the systems created; the user is never wrong, but rather, the systems are broken (Kenney, 2014). This idea aligns with the hyperlinked library practice as outlined in \u201cThe Heart of Librarianship\u201d where author Michael Stephens (@michael<\/a><\/span>) states that libraries must evolve to meet user preferences even if the journey to accomplishment is inevitably evolutionary and most definitely chaotic (Stephens, 2016). The user should be the center of gravity for library services and resources, and we must be ready to evolve and keep up with interests.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What is holding libraries back?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Like Stephens, I also find myself pondering intensely about this question because, really, what exactly are the factors preventing libraries from moving forward and making executive decisions that may potentially alter entire organizational landscapes? Take my workplace, for instance\u2014the <\/span>Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library<\/span><\/a> has over 1,300 ESL and Citizenship learners yearly, but our in-house literacy collection is not only outdated, but also poor in circulation. Regarding this issue, management has yet to implement weeding procedures and give directions to update the catalogs to include newer, more relevant books that reflect the needs of learners wanting more bilingual materials. I have come to the conclusion that there could be many factors barring libraries, including my place of employment, from truly evolving: a lack of intention from management, a lack of budget to purchase new collections and renovate library spaces, and even a fear of hard labor (all the re-cataloging) going in vain.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Embracing hyperlinked library practices<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>San Francisco Public Library\u2019s (SFPL) teen space<\/span><\/a>, \u201cThe Mix\u201d, is a great example of user-centered creation where a group of teenagers collaborated with an architect to design a teen exclusive zone with study nooks, white boards and projectors, and chill seating areas that allow eating (O\u2019Brien, 2019). The library simply asked the teens what they wanted in this space, and it delivered in the final outcome. \u201cThe Mix\u201d illustrates how dynamic and creative change can be when users are involved in the decision making process and design. Perhaps when users are consulted about library decisions, the fear of the evolution of library services is mitigated because there is a sense of affirmation from target audiences.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How to be a good planet<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

As a LIS student who currently works in a public library, I can see that I have already been implementing Library 2.0 changes to my organization before even realizing the term existed! Through daily interactions with community patrons, I have developed a strong understanding of what programs they want to see in the library. Every year, I make it a priority to lead a 3-week phone technology workshop where I focus on helping ESL learners understand elements of the phone in English. This may only be one instance, but if we, as information professionals, involve users in defining library services, then we are moving in a positive direction that brings us closer to Library 2.0.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Photo by Jonas Lee<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In order for a planet to be a successful planet, it must orbit the sun. If the user is the sun, then we need to continuously change and maintain relevancy to stay connected to the sun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

References<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Casey, M. E., & Savastinuk, L. C. (2007). <\/span>Library 2.0: A guide to participatory library service.<\/span><\/i> Information Today, Inc. <\/span>https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Library2.0Text.pdf<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kenney, B. (2014, January 27). <\/span>The user is (still) not broken. <\/span><\/i>Publishers Weekly. <\/span>http:\/\/www.publishersweekly.com\/pw\/by-topic\/industry-news\/libraries\/article\/60780-the-user-is-still-not-broken.html<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Literacy for All of Monterey Park. (2025). <\/span>LAMP monthly statistical report 2024-2025<\/span><\/i> [Internal statistics]. Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library. (n.d.). <\/span>Literacy for All of Monterey Park. <\/span><\/i>https:\/\/www.montereypark.ca.gov\/264\/English-Classes-Citizenship<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien, C. (2019, June 24). <\/span>How San Francisco\u2019s public libraries are embracing their changing role. <\/span><\/i>Shareable. <\/span>https:\/\/www.shareable.net\/how-san-francisco-public-libraries-are-embracing-their-changing-role\/<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Schneider, K. G. (2006, June 3). The user is not broken: A meme masquerading as a manifesto. <\/span>Free Range Librarian.<\/span><\/i> http:\/\/freerangelibrarian.com\/2006\/06\/03\/the-user-is-not-broken-a-meme-masquerading-as-a-manifesto\/<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Stephens, M. (2016). <\/span>The heart of librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change. <\/span><\/i>ALA Editions. <\/span>https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/s\/gc9ecokb972xgil\/HeartofLibrarianship.pdf?dl=0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2006, Karen Schneider published a post titled \u201cThe User Is Not Broken: A meme masquerading as a manifesto\u201d on her blog, the Free Range Librarian. A particular thought from her discussion stood out to me, and that is \u201cthe user is the sun\u201d. For this assignment, I want to dig deeper into this notion … Continue reading “Assignment X: If the user is the sun, then we must be the planets!”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":845,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assignments"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/845"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27\/revisions\/57"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/hyperlinkedtea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}