For this reflection, I chose to focus on the New Models module, partly because it reminded me of my chosen topic for INFO 200, which I still feel deeply connected to. My focus was to explore the information needs and behaviors of professional and hobby gardeners, and how libraries and information centers could incorporate those needs into programming and the general library culture. 

My exploration seems to map well onto the Danish concept of hygge discussed in Wholehearted Librarianship (Stephens, 2019). Hygge can refer to a general coziness, but it can also refer to a sense of communal comfort built through learning, grounding, and contemplation. 

As we have discussed, modern library spaces embrace many modes of learning, including experiential education and social engagement that emerge from truly listening to one’s community. I currently work in childcare with children ages 3-5, so one of my favorite examples comes from the garden experiences at the Central Branch of Brown County Library in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In one of their programs called the Pizza Garden, children harvest pizza ingredients such as tomatoes, peppers, and basil after listening to a pizza themed-read aloud (Kallunki, 2015). In this activity, speaking and reading skills are made engaging through an opportunity for tactile learning in which children can ground themselves in an outdoor library experience. 

Another very different gardening initiative that I also feel embraces the concept of hygge is the establishment of an indoor garden and seed library at the Gerstein Science Information Centre (Gray et al., 2024). Learning gardens, particularly when accompanied by seed gardens, can be opportunities for outreach, community, food security, experiential learning and student well-being. The initiative was well received by the library’s patrons who appreciated being able to take seeds from the seed library and found the greenery in their library space to temporarily reduce stress. 

References

Gray, M., Bradley-Ridout, G., Cunningham, H., Duff, C., Nevison, M., and Woehrle, E. (2024). Establishing an indoor garden and seed library in an academic library. Public Services Quarterly, 20(4), 270-282. https://doi-org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.1080/15228959.2024.2413508

Kallunki, S. (2015). A bumper crop of ideas. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 13(2), 21-25. https://doi-org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.5860/cal.13n2.21

Stephens, M. (2019). Growing our libraries. In Wholehearted librarianship: Finding hope, inspiration, and balance (59-72). ALA Editions.

Here is my Innovation Strategy & Roadmap:

I look forward to exploring everyone’s posts and presentations!

In a previous course, INFO 285: Applied Research Methods, I chose to center my research around generative artificial intelligence. I also plan to examine this topic for the upcoming Innovation Strategy & Roadmap Assignment. I have so far found that the deeper I dive into this topic, the less grounded I feel in my opinions about it! Therefore, I was excited to explore the AI & ChatGPT option in this Choose-Your-Own-Adventure module.

One of the articles from this module that I found to be particularly engaging and surprising was Dr. Lili Luo’s study on how librarians are using generative AI. My interest in this article is due to the fact that I have mostly engaged with the topic of AI and libraries from the perspective of the AI education of library patrons, and have been less focused on internal staff AI behaviors. Most surprising to me from this study’s results is that two-thirds of respondents reported that they use or have used generative AI tools at work. This result contrasts with the general feelings and behaviors that I have picked up on from my peers in the SJSU library program. While there is certainly a risk for me to be coming from a biased perspective, when engaging with discussion posts and blogs, I feel that I rarely encounter peers who advocate strongly for AI use in libraries. 

Although the results of the study largely reflect enthusiasm towards AI tools, librarians also cited concerns and challenges related to AI. Among main concerns are the risks of inconsistent accuracy/reliability of AI outputs and ethical/data privacy hazards. It is no surprise that librarians find these concerns to be most pressing. These risks push up against core values that are present in the ALA Code of Ethics: protection of privacy and accuracy of information. 

References

ALA code of ethics. ALA. https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics

Luo, L. (2025, November 15). How librarians are using generative AI: Insights from a nationwide survey – SJSU: School of Information. SJSU School of Information. https://ischool.sjsu.edu/ciri-blog/how-librarians-are-using-generative-ai-insights-nationwide-survey

A major theme across the Hyperlinked Communities Module, and across the course as a whole, is that the library has functions that go far beyond their widely recognized purpose of housing books. As was discussed by Tareq Nurul Hasan (2022), libraries can be a sanctuary for health and wellness. In her TEDTalk, Ciara Eastell shares how they can be spaces for people to navigate complex emotions, such as grief. They are spaces for both staff and patrons to learn and grow together. 

With this discussion of the wide range of community-centered library functions, this module immediately brought to mind the widely discussed “loneliness epidemic” and the disappearances of third spaces across the United States. According to the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day (Summers et al., 2023). As technology has evolved, and culture has shifted, people spend far less time with one another in person as compared to two decades ago. American participation in community organizations has declined in recent decades. In a public health advisory, the very first foundational pillar is the need to strengthen social infrastructure, and the advisory explicitly utilizes libraries as an example. 

Extremely relevant to our course content is the idea that one can be around many people and still feel lonely. According to Dr. Murthy, the actual quality of the connection drives how lonely a person may be. A core question for this module is: How can one foster genuine connection within one’s community? What are ways that librarians can cultivate meaningful and genuine connection in the library spaces?

One way of cultivating meaningful connections that I find to be particularly weighty is for libraries to emphasize the reciprocal learning experiences that can occur in library spaces, and to utilize the knowledge gained from these experiences to create more inclusive systems. A fantastic example of this was the “Wash & Learn” partnership between Libraries Without Borders, The DreamYard Project and the LaundryCares Foundation. In a pop-up library at a local laundromat in the Bronx, students from the community act as librarians to work with fellow community members to answer a myriad of questions. One student noted that many people from their community have information needs but that these people were still waiting to be asked if they needed help. This is an example of learning from community members, and allowing those community insiders to guide work that allows libraries to go to the community, not make the community come to them. 

Another ideal example is the formation of the Black Culture Library Advocates Group at the Multnomah County Library. LeFoster Williams formed and leads an outreach and programming group in the library with the motivation of acting as a voice for the local Black library community. As was discussed in the video, forced diversity makes zero sense without the existence of an inclusive system. Communal experiences are not meaningful, and will not be to our social benefit, if they are not built on genuine efforts toward continuous learning and connection. 

References

American Library Association. (2019, June 17). Multnomah County Library: Creating conditions for equity to flourish. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKGlxh-zc0Y&t=114s

Bibliothèques Sans Frontières. (2017, October 11). “Wash & Learn” Pop-Up Library Program in the Bronx. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HM7pQiqDZY

Finlay, J., Esposito, M., Kim, M. H., Gomez-Lopez, I., & Clarke, P. (2019). Closure of ‘third places’? Exploring potential consequences for collective health and wellbeing. Health & place, 60, 102225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102225

Hasan, TN. (2022). “Free, non-judgemental, accessible”: how your local library is a sanctuary of health and Wellness. SBS Bangla. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/bangla/en/article/free-nonjudgmental-and-accessible-how-your-local-library-is-a-sanctuary-of-health-and-wellness/t15blzsi9

Summers, J., Acovino, V., & Intagliata, C. (2023, May 2). America has a loneliness epidemic. here are 6 steps to address it. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173418268/loneliness-connection-mental-health-dementia-surgeon-general