{"id":24,"date":"2026-09-11T06:02:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T06:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/?p=24"},"modified":"2026-09-11T06:08:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T06:08:08","slug":"assignment-x-the-hyperlinked-library-much-more-than-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/2026\/09\/11\/assignment-x-the-hyperlinked-library-much-more-than-books\/","title":{"rendered":"Assignment X: The Hyperlinked Library – Much More Than Books"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Meme courtesy of: https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/socialmediaandlibrarianship\/2016\/02\/09\/use-of-memes-in-libraries\/<\/p><\/div>\n

The library is more than a place that stores books which makes our future as library professionals bright.\u00a0 If the library was only storage for books, we\u2019d be in big trouble as the internet has changed how people find and consume information.\u00a0 The Hyperlinked Library Model outlines practices for libraries to use which will best support the needs of their communities. Through ongoing conversations, transparency, participatory service, and the ability to easily change as needed, the Hyperlinked Library is for the people and by the people. The Hyperlinked Library Model demands that institutions reach out to their communities consistently.\u00a0 By engaging in conversations with their communities, libraries can transform into institutions that provide services that truly meet their needs (Stephens, 2016, p.10).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, the city of Long Beach, here in California, proposed <\/span>slashing hours and laying off staff at their library branches<\/span><\/a> due to major budgetary issues.\u00a0 During a City Council meeting, one patron, Emily Quest, pleaded with city officials to keep those libraries open.\u00a0 You can watch Emily\u2019s plea <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>\u00a0but bring tissues with you because tears will be shed.\u00a0 In the clip, she speaks through tears about how the library has been a place where she is safe, she has the opportunity to socialize with others, and can attend her beloved crafting programs.\u00a0 This emotional public plea is a reminder of how important our libraries can be.\u00a0 There aren\u2019t many \u2018third places\u2019 out there that are free for people to gather safely together. A \u2018third place\u2019 is a place that is not work or home but allows for social interactions with others creating a community (Leferink, 2018).\u00a0 The library provides that place free of cost to their community members.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are intrinsically a caring institution – we are much more than a book storage facility.\u00a0 We are a safe place where community members can go to access information, be entertained, learn, socialize, and frankly, feel good about themselves.\u00a0 I went to a program at my local library because I wanted to learn how to use a sewing machine.\u00a0 It was a great program, and I was able to talk to other people during the program.\u00a0 I will always remember how excited one gentleman was to make a potholder using the sewing machine.\u00a0 I\u2019m proudly staring at the one I made!\u00a0 After a failed attempt at trying to use a sewing machine on my own, I never thought I\u2019d touch one again but here I was at the library with a wonderful staff member showing me that I could sew.\u00a0 How cool is it that we are able to offer opportunities like that?\u00a0 When examining the Hyperlinked Library Model, I am really drawn to making these human connections.\u00a0 In particular, transparency and the conversations that librarians need to be having both within the library and outside the library with their communities.\u00a0 In my work experience, planning and ideas have come from within the organization with only a few members of upper management having any input related to future plans.\u00a0 Community members are not even consulted for remodels, which is head scratching.\u00a0 There are a lot of personal projects headed by upper management and the community has not been afforded the opportunity to speak on what they need and what they want. I\u2019m not sure the reason why that kind of outreach has not happened. This surely isn\u2019t the only library system that handles things like this, but who would know what is needed better than the community?\u00a0 The Hyperlinked Library Model outright requires an ongoing and never-ending conversation between the library and the community. Michael Stephens (2016) puts it perfectly, \u201cfresh voices and ideas from beyond library staff input might lead to some intriguing and popular initiatives,\u201d (p. 101). How often is that happening in our libraries?\u00a0 How do we get out of the culture of secrecy and upper management pet projects?\u00a0 How can we start those conversations and really understand the needs of our communities?<\/span><\/p>\n

Emily Quest\u2019s public comment shows how impactful the library can be. In response to this City Council meeting, I\u2019m happy to report that the Mayor of Long Beach has<\/span> decided to back off of the proposed cuts<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 Emily\u2019s experience and willingness to be vulnerable to stand-up for her library may have just saved both staff and hours of her favorite space.\u00a0 That devotion can only come from a heart that has been touched deeply by that library.\u00a0 The Hyperlinked Library model provides a wonderful roadmap to ensure the library remains a viable institution in our communities.\u00a0 How are libraries rising to this challenge?\u00a0 How are we touching the hearts of our communities?<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Donegan, J. (2026, August 9). <\/span>Long Beach libraries: Budget proposal to slash jobs.<\/span><\/i> LAist. <\/span>https:\/\/laist.com\/brief\/news\/long-beach-plans-to-cut-library-hours-staff-even-as-workers-say-demand-is-soaringh libraries<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Donegan, J. (2026, September 1). <\/span>\u2018The message was clear\u2019: Mayor abandons plan to cut library hours following public outcry.<\/span><\/i> Long Beach Post. <\/span>https:\/\/lbpost.com\/news\/library-cuts-long-beach-hours-mayor-reverse-course\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Leferink, S. (2018, January 24). To keep people happy\u2026keep some books. <\/span>OCLC. <\/span><\/i>https:\/\/blog.oclc.org\/next\/to-keep-people-happy-keep-some-books\/<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Stephens, M. (2016).\u00a0 <\/span>The heart of librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change. <\/span><\/i>ALA Editions.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The library is more than a place that stores books which makes our future as library professionals bright.\u00a0 If the library was only storage for books, we\u2019d be in big trouble as the internet has changed how people find and consume information.\u00a0 The Hyperlinked Library Model outlines practices for libraries to use which will best […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":880,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,7,6],"tags":[12,11,10,9],"class_list":["post-24","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conversations","category-hyperlinked-library","category-project-x","tag-community","tag-conversations","tag-hyperlinked-library","tag-project-x"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/880"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24\/revisions\/31"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/inmyhyperlinkedera\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}