Author: Natalie Wong

 

 

 

 

 

The Hyperlinked Academic Library: The Heart of the Campus

I chose the Hyperlinked Academic Library for my own adventure because I plan to work at an academic library. I currently work at a community college (ELAC) theater department and as previously mentioned in my introductory blog, I would love to work at the library there. I must confess, though, that I struggled with finding something inspiring for this week’s blog. After reading a few articles, I even thought about jumping ship and switching to another adventure. However, here I am and here is what sparkled with me (ode to the 4th of July).

I interviewed the department chair of the ELAC library for an assignment for a previous MLIS course and she said that she believes the library is the heart of the campus. She was definitely on to something! The textbooks for this class by Professor Stephens (2016, 2019) are titled The Heart of Librarianship and Wholehearted Librarianship.

There is evidence that the library is the heart of a campus throughout the readings and resources for this module. Most prominent is the Hunt Library at NC State where people in the entire state of North Carolina were excited about this library (NC State, 2013). The Hunt Library is so monumental that NC State leaders hoped for it to help recruit and retain their best students and make the university known as a place of excellence. Arizona State University (ASU) completed a $90 million, 2-year renovation of their Hayden Library to reorganize and expand library services and resources (Straumsheim, 2017). The Hayden Library renovation featured enhanced accessibility, collaborative study spaces, innovative learning environments, curated collections, and LEED Platinum certification (OpenAI, 2025). As these universities pour millions of dollars and resources into their libraries, they emphasize their belief that the library is a student center for teaching and learning across all disciplines; a space for students to study together; a knowledge laboratory; and a place where students can obtain specialty services. Academic institutions value the library as the central location for gaining and creating knowledge.

How have academic libraries remained the heart of the campus? They are inadvertently (or perhaps intentionally) following the hyperlinked model. They are listening to what students want and paying attention to what they need. This has manifested into providing user-centered innovation and support for emerging technologies such as the podcast studio at UCF’s John C. Hitt Library (LibTech, 2024) and SJSU King Library’s first dedicated AI librarian (Seacrist, 2025). If there is no funding or space for the aforementioned spectacular initiatives, libraries may offer what Matthews (2015) calls “pop-up boutique services” like office hours at the library from a local entrepreneur for anyone who wants to talk about business ideas or office hours for other niche topics.

All of these programs and offerings are student-centered and designed to improve student engagement and success. It is exciting to think about all the opportunities academic libraries have to positively impact the student experience and provide the tools they need to create or learn something new. I am looking forward to working at the “heart of the campus.”

@natalie @michael

 

References

LibTech. (2024, March 4). Debut of the Hitt Maker Podcast Studio: Meeting the evolving needs of students and faculty. UCF Libraries: News & Blog. https://library.ucf.edu/news/debut-of-the-hitt-maker-podcast-studio-meeting-the-evolving-needs-of-students-and-faculty/

Matthews, B. (2015, May 27). The evolving & expanding service landscape across academic libraries. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2015/05/27/the-evolving-expanding-service-landscape-across-academic-libraries/

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (July 6 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

NC State. (2013, July 30). The Hunt Library story (updated) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okr78MUrImI&t=7s

Seacrist, L. (2025, February 11). Commitment to AI innovation: SJSU’s first AI librarian. SJSU NewsCenter: San José State’s Official News Source. https://blogs.sjsu.edu/newsroom/2025/commitment-to-ai-innovation-sjsus-first-ai-librarian/

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

Stephens, M. T. (2019). Wholehearted librarianship : finding hope, inspiration, and balance. ALA Editions.

Straumsheim, C. (2017, March 23). ‘The library has never been more important.’ Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/03/24/arizona-state-u-library-reorganization-plan-moves-ahead

A Life-Changing Discovery

I am so glad to be taking this class now, at the near end of my MLIS journey, because Professor Stephens is helping us develop our professional identities. By the end of this course, I will be ready to tackle my LIS career. In The Heart of Librarianship, Stephens (2016) talks about how he asked a library director what he should be teaching in library school, and her answer was to teach students to become leaders, innovators, the ones watching and planning for the future. I like her answer! I do not work in a library now and have very little experience working in one, so I never thought of myself as a library leader or an innovator. However, I am not going to think so small anymore. I am going to be a leader!

Stephens (2016) discusses the various answers to the introductory question, “What brings you to librarianship?”, when meeting a class for the first time. One of the best answers is, “I want to change people’s lives.” My response to that is–WOW! I never thought of it that way. You mean as a librarian/information professional, I can change lives?! Oh yes, of course I can and I will! I want to help people meet their basic and information needs.

Along these same lines, Eastell (TEDx Talks, 2019) says that the images of library staff as quiet creatures hiding from the world are long gone. Instead, she thinks of librarians as “gentle subversives, new radicals committed to bringing you good, quality information” (TEDx Talks, 2019, 5:20). Wait, what? I never considered myself a subversive or a radical, but I suppose I am going to be one as a librarian! Eastell goes on to say that library staff are super connectors within their local community, forging new connections between different groups and individuals. Certainly we will change lives! This is so exciting–to think of the LIS profession in this way.

Just a few days ago, my husband referred to librarianship as the “most boring thing ever” when talking about my upcoming core competencies portfolio with my daughter. I should have stuck up for myself and the profession right there on the spot, but I didn’t realize how much his statement bothered me until later. It is not the most boring thing ever! It is the opposite! Librarians and libraries are helping people; they are subversive and radical; they are forging new connections between people and organizations; and they are changing lives. I can’t wait to get started!

References

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

TEDx Talks. (2019, June 13). Ciara Eastell: How libraries change lives [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Tvt-lHZBUwU?si=VJ5BQ1a3X0q9mjVX

@natalie

I start with a couple of questions introduced to us by Buckland in his manifesto way back in 1992.  He wrote that the initial question to redesigning library services is how to do the same library services better, for example, a more efficient self-checkout process. However, a longer term question to consider is how to do better, different things. 

Buckland (1992) wrote this more than 30 years ago and there is evidence all over the world of how libraries and librarians are responding to both questions. One of my personal observations is seeing the bookmobile at the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) where my kids attend. While the idea of a bookmobile is hardly new, it made my heart happy to see this vehicle parked at the BGC. It is a symbol of community outreach, and on top of that, the library is developing a foundational relationship with school-age children who hopefully will grow up with a positive impression of the library. Another type of community outreach was established through sponsorship from various local businesses. A credit union, insurance agency, and car dealership sponsored this cute little bookmobile (OMG-I might end up becoming a children’s librarian just so I can drive this thing!).

Also at the BGC is a Library Book Locker! People can reserve a book and pick it up at the book locker. This is most convenient for busy parents (like me) who can pick up a book at the same place they pick up their kids after work or at any time! There is no need to wait for the library to open or rush there before it closes.

Another instance of doing something that is different and better is Center Theatre Group’s (CTG) partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL). CTG started the Community Play Readings initiative more than a decade ago in 2013, bringing theater to LAPL branch libraries in underserved LA neighborhoods such as Boyle Heights. The play-reading program has persisted and grown and they have even offered mask-making and costuming-related workshops at these libraries. This is an example of what Stephens (2016) calls “radical community engagement.” Note how CTG emphasizes the joy of sharing a good story, which Professor Stephens also emphasizes in the Module 4 lecture on Participatory Service & Transparency (Stephens, 2025b).

Developing a relationship with the library early in life is so important. That is why my blog and this assignment is called The Hyperlinked Playground. Children generally do not want to go to the library and much prefer the playground. My hometown library responded by driving a bookmobile to them (at the BGC). The Johnson County Library in Kansas responded by collaborating with their Park and Recreation District to launch “Storywalk”, an installation of storyboards located throughout one of their parks (Stephens, 2025a).

Another way to capture the attention of children at the library is through toys. There exist over 400 toy libraries in the U.S. The majority of them are located at regular libraries and schools (Free, 2020). The American Academy of Pediatrics in 2018 reported that playground play is more powerful than classroom learning in the development of a child’s cognitive, social, emotional and language skills (Free, 2020). Plus, children become familiar with the traditional library borrowing process of checking out items and then returning them by the due date. 

In our lectures, we have heard much about Dokk1, the amazing public library in Aarhus, Denmark, but what about the Helsinki Public Library Oodi? The video tour on YouTube of Oodi that is included in our Module 4 resources makes me believe it is the world’s best library (TheRuudy, 2022)! Early on in the video, the YouTuber introduces the library as a place that keeps people smart and educated. This is evidence that the library’s brand is evolving from “books” to “knowledge and learning.” The YouTuber used the word “playground” to describe the children’s section of Oodi. There is stroller parking (which they call a pram park for your buggies 🥹), an interactive fairy tale wall, and an actual outdoor playground. They have shelves stocked with games and game rooms with Nintendo and Playstation set-ups for older children.

For Assignment X, I gravitated towards how libraries connect with children in both old and new ways. The Hyperlinked [Library] Playground helps young people develop a relationship with the library and form positive opinions of it from the start. Throughout this examination, I observed that the library brand is evolving rapidly from “books” to “knowledge and learning.” Incredible libraries like Dokk1 and Oodi were designed and built because libraries are held in high esteem as centers of knowledge and learning. Libraries and librarians are answering Buckland’s call of doing library services better and doing different and better library services through community outreach, radical engagement, and partnerships.

 

References

Buckland, M. K. (1992). Redesigning library services: A manifesto / Michael Buckland. American Library Association.

Free, C. (2020, January 22). This growing trend lets kids check out games and dolls from a toy library. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/01/22/this-growing-trend-lets-kids-check-out-games-dolls-toy-library/

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

Stephens, M. T. (2025a). The hyperlinked library model [PDF slides]. Panopto@SJSU. Slide 63.

Stephens, M. T. (2025b). Participatory service & transparency [PDF slides]. Panopto@SJSU. Slide 7.

TheRuudy. (2022, December 13). Is this the world’s best library? 🇫🇮 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvyXjAI5_VI

@natalie

Hello! My name is Natalie Wong and I live in southern California, specifically in a town called Monrovia, which is in the Los Angeles area. I work in the Theater Department at East Los Angeles College, a large community college, as the Theater Manager. I plan to complete my MLIS program at the end of this year and would like to stay in the college system. I would actually love to stay at ELAC and work at the library there.

I am taking this class because I remember Dr. Stephens’ lectures from INFO200 way back in spring 2021, my first semester at SJSU. I always knew I wanted to take another class with him, so here I am. I am looking forward to learning and exploring with everyone this summer.

I am sharing a few photos of me and my family, who take up all my time outside of work and SJSU. My husband and I have three kids, ages 9, 7, and 2. We have become a “theme park family” where we go to places like Legoland, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and other carnival-type events for all our vacations. It’s both extremely fulfilling and challenging to be a mom and watch my kids grow and progress–they are my whole heart!

@natalie