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For the virtual symposium, I choose to discuss themes that have been prevalent throughout this course and in several of the other MLIS classes.

The inspiration for this report came from the desire to cultivate information literacy skills in middle graders that will set them up for success in High School. During my six year tenure as an elementary school media center assistant, I came to realize that students were lacking information literacy and research skills. Limited opportunities exist for teachers to incorporate these skills into their already busy day. I believe libraries are in a position– as an open education commons– to provide supplemental services that can teach these skills to young people. Additionally, the ALA and California Department of Education have addressed the importance of information/digital literacy through the creation of standards. I have formatted the report as a professional presentation to a library manager. 

View my project, here.

Stories have the power to bring people together. The library houses countless stories! This means that the library is in a unique position to bring people together by using the power of storytelling. I will be sharing two of my personal favorite ways in which libraries are sharing stories. First up is the short story dispensers at Los Angeles Public libraries. Second, I will be sharing an organization that is partnered with the Library of Congress to share personal stories as told by people across the country. My third share is not library related, but it does center around storytelling, it is a podcast. 

Over at LA Public library, there are short story dispensers that print out on receipt paper. Their social media advertisement for this neat feature was humorous and engaging and featured their social media “mascot,” a raccoon hand puppet. This  short story dispenser is a charming  and unique way for people to conveniently engage in stories. I  encourage you to visit their Instagram and view the post.

Story Corp is an organization that is preserving stories in recorded format from all over the country. Average folks will sit down with StoryCorps to share their personal stories or interview a loved one. I first heard about this on NPR. Every Friday morning, a StoryCorps interview would be played. These stories are housed at the Library of Congress. It is important that these stories are available to the public and preserved to future generations to experience. It is important that every member of society be represented in stories and libraries play a crucial role in providing access to these stories. 

Wiser than Me is a podcast hosted by the talented (and hilarious) Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Louis-Dreyfus interviews older women from various professions that are masters in their own right. She opens the podcast with a story of her own, typically related to the host. I liked this podcast in particular because it is a reflection of a statement that resonated with me in this module: “The underserved and the invisible should feel welcome and encouraged in our spaces, both physical, virtual and across the community itself.” Louis-Dreyfus  interviews people that are amongst some of the most marginalized groups. All of the interviewees are women, and all of them are older women. To tie it all together, two women that I was assisting at the library in which I work, brought up Louis-Dreyfus’ interview with Dolores Huerta. L-D acknowledges that the women she interviews have life experiences, skills, talent, and wisdom that are of great importance and value. They share their stories, we get to absorb their brilliance. It is great!

I am excited that learning is a component of the hyperlinked library! As someone who has worked in public education for about 8 years, learning is my jam. Lifelong learning is the tenant of public education. Everything is taught with the subtext that it will inspire a student to continue wanting to learn. Inquiry skills are modeled that will hopefully catch on and create curious minds. I worked in an elementary school as their media center assistant for 6 years; I worked alongside some fantastic teachers who I picked up many great teaching strategies from (I also picked up great classroom management skills from them, which come in handy to this day). It delights me to see young people become excited at the idea of learning and creating. I bring this energy with me into my current job at a public library and it has yet to fail me…even with adults. Patience, compassion, empathy, and encouragement are contagious! 

I have also seen what Stephens (2016) touches on in chapter 6, on infinite learning. Technology has become a crucial part of learning and teaching. When I started the media center position (2014) to when I left (2020), there was a world of difference in the way the classroom was structured. Firstly, my final year there was spent in distance learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Just imagine how wildly different a virtual learning environment is from a classroom environment. Very different. There were many challenges…too many to list. However, we HAD the technology to allow for students to still learn in a classroom setting from their homes! Incredible. We used the Google suite and I became a pro at all things Google: documents, sheets, forms, pages, you name it, I learned it. I still use all of these apps daily. And now, in my current position, I am able to learn how to collaborate using Microsoft. I share documents with my coworkers weekly. I map out my display designs using Canva. Forms are submitted online with the click of a button. 

On the service side of libraries, I have become familiar with all of the apps that are available through the library system I work for and I teach adults, teens, and children daily how to utilize our resources. I have become keenly aware of all these experiences throughout this course. Now, I am able to comprehend and articulate the ways in which technology keeps us connected and aids our learning. I am also able to see the ways in which education and librarianship intersect.  

References
Stephens, M. T. (2016). The heart of librarianship : attentive, positive, and purposeful change. ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.

How will new and established technologies further impact library service?

AI tools have started popping up more frequently since ChatGPT launched in 2022. This AI “boom” has shown up in a number of different industries and has been incorporated into a myriad of daily applications and software (ChatGTP, 2024). I think that libraries are positioned to lead the conversation about AI and other established technologies and provide information that can empower the general public or students as these tools will ultimately be incorporated into our routines– the “new normal.” Libraries can ensure equitable access to AI applications and provide workshops for adults who want to expand their knowledge of technology. Libraries already provide a variety of different services related to tech assistance. For example, LA County library system offers Digital Assistants at several of their branches. Why not throw in AI? AS is mentioned in Anderson et al (2021), new technologies create  a deeper divide between low income and poor communities and affluent communities. 

And, as Papini (2023) points out, there are still several gray areas that are created by the existence of AI and other new technologies related to AI, that it is difficult to navigate how to best utilize these new tools. If scholars are struggling to navigate AI, then the general public certainly has hesitations, as I mentioned in my last reflection blog post.  

What should librarians make of virtual assistants, smart homes, artificial intelligence, and more?

I think that these technologies should be embraced! Librarians have a lot on their plate, especially those who develop and plan programming. There are so many moving parts to keep track of.  AI applications can be used in practical ways that allow librarians to have more time to spend on their community. AI tools and applications can assist with assessments and environmental scans by interpreting statistics. AI can be used to punch up a social media post or flyers (I personally like Canva). It can be used to create library policies and procedures. I see AI tools as a stand in for a personal assistant at this time, but the possibilities are endless. 

We have seen throughout the last two modules that technology is a powerful tool for creating connection through stories. Stories can be told, shared, and archived in ways that have never been done in the past.

References

ChatGPT. (2024, November 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ChatGPT&oldid=1254662595

Anderson, J., Rainie, L., & Vogels, E. (2021, February 16).  Experts Say the ‘New Normal’ in 2025 Will Be Far More Tech-Driven, Presenting More Big Challenges. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/02/18/experts-say-the-new-normal-in-2025-will-be-far-more-tech-driven-presenting-more-big-challenges/

Fister, B. and Head, A.J.. (2023, May 4). Getting a grip on ChatGPT. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2023/05/04/getting-grip-chatgpt

Papini, A.. (2023, January 27). ChatGPT: A library perspective [Blog]. Bryant University. https://library.bryant.edu/chatgpt-library-perspective \

INFO 827 Assignment x by Celinna Miranda

How does AI fit into the participatory model? How is AI currently showing up in libraries? Exploring the use of AI in libraries can help us make decisions as to whether or not– or– to what degree librarians should be incorporating it in their service model. Pew Research Center’s report on Public awareness if artificial intelligence in everyday activities (Kennedy, 2023) is where I started. This article provides statistics on Americans’ awareness of the use of AI and also provides some insight into how Americans are using AI and how they feel about it. 

“…[O]nly three-in-ten U.S. adults are able to correctly identify all six uses of AI asked about in the survey, underscoring the developing nature of public understanding.”  (Kennedy, 2023)

From this survey, it was apparent that AI literacy, or awareness, is not being mastered by a majority of Americans. This is problematic because AI is a tool that can be used for nefarious purposes. It is important that people be able to identify the use of AI in order to determine when it is being used appropriately or misused. This was alarming to me, but I definitely understood why. I personally only know what I know about AI from readings and projects I have performed throughout my MLIS program or through what my colleagues, who are MLIS professionals, have shared with me. Which makes sense as this report also revealed that people with higher levels of education are more likely to be able to identify when AI is being used. It should be noted that income was also tied to education. This revealed to me that AI literacy can be seen as an access issue. Could librarians and libraries lead the way towards AI literacy? 

“Among Americans who say they are on the internet “almost constantly,” 38% got all six questions correct, as did 31% of those who say they use the internet several times a day. By comparison, just 6% of infrequent internet users (those who go online about once a day or less) correctly answered all six questions on the survey.”

Although there are a myriad of reasons why a person may not be a frequent internet user, I’m curious to know if access is one of those reasons. This is something that I would like to explore in more detail, perhaps for another blog. Has AI reached a point, much like with the internet, that it is a necessary utility? I cannot say for certain that it is currently at that point, but I feel as though it will arrive there. 

 

“On balance, a greater share of Americans say they are more concerned than excited about the increased use of artificial intelligence in daily life (38%) than say they are more excited than concerned (15%).”

I am interested in how public libraries are utilizing AI. I had a difficult time locating articles that featured AI and public libraries, but it was easy to find the use of AI in academic libraries. This is an anecdotal example, but it supports the findings that were mentioned above; there is a direct correlation between AI literacy and education. AI appears to be used by librarians and library administrators to use as a tool to make assessments and analysis much easier. AI is here to stay. It has been incorporated into many daily practices. AI is now more accessible and becoming a regularly used tool, especially with the popularization of ChatGPT and use of AI in popular applications like Adobe and Canva. I’d like to see librarians empowering citizens to be more AI savvy and instill confidence in citizens who are wary of AI. There are endless possibilities for connection through the use of technology. 

References

Kennedy, B., Tyson, A., Saks, E.. (2023, February 15). Public awareness of artificial intelligence in everyday activities. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/02/15/public-awareness-of-artificial-intelligence-in-everyday-activities/

There are several insights that I arrived at throughout the readings and media that were provided in this module. Altogether they enforced my understanding of the #hyperlinkedlibrary. I write this blog as someone who’s career path is destined for public librarianship. I currently work part time for a public library system as an assistant and plan on joining the same public library system as a librarian. In this blog post, I will be sharing some of the quotes that resonated with me followed by my interpretation or understanding of how they fit into this course and public librarianship. 

“Search, for example, tells us what we want to know, but can’t help if we don’t already know what we want. Far from disappearing, human curation and sensibilities have a new value in the age of algorithms.” (Bhaskar, 2016) 

This quote created one of a few “ah-ha” moments that I have had so far in this Hyperlinked Library learning journey. I came into this course with the mindset that we would be highly focused on technology, and although technology is included, we have been focused on the human aspect of librarianship. I shifted my perspective to technology being used as a tool, but I am starting to see that technology is an extension of human interaction and we have a complex relationship with it. Ultimately, I am learning that human connection is powerful and invaluable and should be encouraged whenever possible through whichever channels are most appropriate. 

“Reaching everyone means using technology to offer new ways to interact with the library, yes, but it also encompasses a wide array of channels for interaction across virtual and physical planes.” (Stephens, 2016)

Doubling down on the symbiotic relationship between human connection and technology in the hyperlinked library. This quote comes from a section titled, Reaching all users, in Dr. Stephens’ book, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change. This section emphasizes the ways in which librarians– and all library staff– can and should find balance in providing services for the community. The answer is not always whatever the newest technology is, it may be something as simple as talking to patrons and asking them questions about what they would like to see happen in their local library. Certainly though, technology can and should be used whenever it is appropriate. 

“Libraries, at their best, enable social mobility.” (TEDx Talks, 2019, 2:37) 

Ciara Eastell speaks on the topic of citizenship, providing access and reliable information, and libraries as multidimensional spaces for everyone. It was short and sweet and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. Eastell championed libraries and emphasized how truly invaluable public libraries are to their community. She brought it back around to human connection when she shared an interaction she had with a patron at her library who was grieving the loss of his wife and needed literature on grief; it was so touching. This TEDx Talk evoked many feelings in me. 

References 

Bhaskar, M. (2016, September 30). In the age of the algorithm, the human gatekeeper is back. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/30/age-of-algorithm-human-gatekeeper

TEDx Talks.  (2019. June 19). How libraries change lives [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Tvt-lHZBUwU?si=iWNnUAq2plLmrNmF

Stephens, M. T. (2016). The heart of librarianship : attentive, positive, and purposeful change. ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.

Hello everyone!

I’m Celinna and I am from Southern California. I spent all of last week on a trip to El Salvador and Guatemala and it was absolutely wonderful! I did a lot of sight-seeing; here is a photo from my trip of the view from a cafe in Alegría, El Salvador.

I also visited the National Library of El Salvador and it was magnificent!

Currently, I am employed part time as a library associate for a public library that is a part of LA County Public Library system. I have over 15 years of combined library experience in public libraries and a public elementary school library. I am just about done with the program and will be graduating in the Spring of ’25. I am planning on becoming a Children’s services librarian, as I have ample experience working with children in a library setting from my years as a media assistant at a public elementary school; and most importantly, I enjoy working with children and serving children and families with young children.  I’m looking forward to this course, as I think this is an extremely valuable to be adaptable an tech savvy as those are tools one should have in their toolkit for outreach and overall best practice.

Here is a word cloud about myself that I created for an introduction discussion in another class.