The hyperlinked community forms the theoretical basis for both the existence and thriving of the hyperlinked library. A hyperlinked community gives us the tools to build a more effective library environment, one that reaches more users, fulfills more community needs, and serves its base more effectively. Hyperlinked communities decentralize the way we can connect with one another; the library has the chance to be a guiding force in this evolution.
Hyperlinked communities enhance the accessibility of public libraries, they center connectedness and sharing. A hyperlinked community has a mutually beneficial relationship with the public library as it should inform its work with the community and vice versa.
While this urge toward integration and actionable engagement with the community has always existed to a certain extent within libraries, the technological advancements that have redefined interconnectedness create a sense of urgency within public libraries to evolve alongside technology in order to meet the community where it is at. Where there is an urgency for evolution and progress there will always be a portion of the institution that pushes against that, a portion that might try to protect the status quo. It is important for those who work at libraries to understand why this evolution is necessary in order to overcome this roadblock.
Our current technological and political environment urges us to move from behind the desk and into the community.
@ldegani You share some strong points here about the cyclical relationship between Communities –> Libraries –> Communities. ⭕️