Background Knowledge…about my hometown community
A confession needs to be made – I have long desired to be a librarian but had accepted the belief that libraries were institutions, in my home community at least, on the way to becoming artifacts of a passing age. In 2001 I graduated high school and witnessed local efforts to eliminate funding for libraries because the internet was more readily available. This argument in favor of their funding cuts and space closures is analogous to efforts to eliminate public transport since cars exist. After having researched my community in depth I have come to realize that we represent an area of California with high illiteracy rates and an average reading ability of a literate third-grader. Even before 2001, illiteracy was rampant and continues to be a concern. If you entered a library during this period from recollection it would be quite spaces with one or two people visible at tables or in the stacks. Fast forward to 2025 the library community has significantly changed, making the physical space a hub of activity, support, and community services.
What changed?
An annual response to change in any local government is funding. While a factor, the greatest influence has been the sowing of a participatory culture. Participatory cultures ask not what their libraries can do for them but what they can do with their libraries. Henry Jenkins (2007) identified five components that define participatory cultures: 1) low barriers to expression and engagement, 2) growth of social connection, 3) support for creativity and sharing, 4) informal mentorships and 5) perceptions of participants that their contributions to the culture matter.
In development…
Participatory cultures in any community, rich or poor, also ask librarians and their staff what they can do. Unfortunately, from observation and casual conversations if you are not a part of the regular library community your opinions and library practices are not being addressed. Outside the physical library space, absent patrons are not receiving messages seeking their participation. Virtual and physical interactions only take us so far if we only post and “leave” or attend to other matters without being present and attending (Stephens, 2016, pp. 41). In my current customer service focused role, while engaging with customers I listen and share how to get resources from the library. State Park passes, Discover and Go along with interlibrary loans are revelations to an unscientific statistic of 99.98% of people. Those attending colleges in the area are not aware of their academic library capabilities offering laptops, research help and writing development. The 2024 SWOT analysis of the community college library indicated that only 10% of the student population utilized library and learning center services (MJC). As integral to scholarship and research, the lack of participatory culture is harming libraries and the communities they serve.
Doom scrolling and “we’ve always done it this way”
Please accept my apologies for the sensational paragraph heading as it was meant to capture your possibly wavering attention. In the words of Mr. Spock, “There are always possibilities” and participatory cultures give those possibilities greater statistical advantage. Now where do we go from here and has the surface been scratched to bring clarity to the fresco of what lies beneath?
The budgets for all libraries feature many of the same financial concerns, often utilizing a copy and paste activity to ensure budget consistency. From our reading for the first half of the semester, an idea has been formulating in my brain. If we embrace the notion of thinking like a startup our library budgets could be revitalized every year to condition for constant change (Mathews, 2012). The reality might be far from the proposal, but it helps move thought patterns away from the limitations that are self-imposed. Before enrolling in iSchool, I began a pathway to elementary teaching but hit many detours. The first being COVID-19 and many others related to the dissonance from instruction to on-the-ground practice. Many teachers, parents and students were displaying trauma mitigation responses and just surviving. It illuminated the issue concerning teacher education and the day-to-day expectations in the classroom. The programs supported innovation, while practice removed quickly any perception that the teachers’ contributions matter. If libraries continue to uphold past practices we continue to feed the monster of apathy, sending unintentional messages learned in primary school performance is expected but participating as a community member regardless of age is not for you.
Stimulating the vagus nerve
Final thoughts on introductory material often require stimulation of the vagus nerve to bolster the brain and stimulate new cognitive pathways in the brain. Often in contemplation of a reflection I find myself not breathing deeply or taking the brain breaks infused with exercise to allow connections to occur. I like to think of my brain breaks, particularly walking the dogs as cognitive improvisation or brainstorming where anything goes. When I have a purpose, whether writing a paper or running errands, it brings clarity. As an emerging information professional, I need to embrace our new purpose as defined by participatory culture: a visible and active member of my communities (Stephens, 2016, pp. 80).
References
Jenkins, H. (2007). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century (Part One). Digital Kompetanse, 2(1), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1891-943X-2007-01-03
MJC. (2024, March 1). Library program review: SWOT analysis design. https://yosemiteccd.sharepoint.com/sites/MJCResearch/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?FolderCTID=0x01200013CB6AB0EBE6CC438008796F7F57E72A&id=%2Fsites%2FMJCResearch%2FShared%20Documents%2FProgram%20Review%2F2023%20Program%20Review%2F2023%20Program%20Review%20Submissions%2FLibrary%20%26%20Online%20Education
Mathews, B. (2012). Think Like A Start Up.
Stephens, M. (2016). The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change
