This has been an incredible semester. It’s not very often that I can say a class has completely changed how I see the world. However, this course has opened my eyes and touched my heart in ways I’d never have expected.

At the beginning of this semester, I wrote that I felt a spirit of creativity come upon me. While I’m usually creative outside my classes, I rarely bring too much of that creativity into my courses. However, this semester I have allowed myself to be vulnerable and share more of myself than usual.

When I started this journey, I saw the library as a building for books. However, as I went through the course, I began to see the library as a mindset and a heterotopia where we, as librarians, could reach people anywhere and help them, with the only barriers being those we allow to stand.

I have created this Virtual Symposium reflecting on the paradigm shift I experienced this semester. While viewing (reading?) this artifact, note that the text in red contains hyperlinks to the corresponding coursework. Indeed, without the coursework, the story is incomplete. Therefore, quickly pouring over the artifact without engaging with the coursework will be less than satisfying.

Without further ado, here’s the link to my virtual symposium.

@michael I include my references in this post for your edification.

References

Stephens, M. (2020, April 9). Office hours: The power of stories part 2. Info 287 – the Hyperlinked Library. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/office-hours-the-power-of-stories-part-2/

Stephens, M. (2023). Planning for participatory services [Panopto video]. https://sjsu-ischool.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=446134f0-141d-42bf-a982-af10012b0fb4