Hygge Library
The concept that resonated with me the most from the ‘New Models’ lecture is the concept of hygge. Joe Pickard (n.d., as cited in Stephens, 2019) defines Hygge “as the art of building sanctuary and community,” of paying attention to what makes us feel alive. A feeling of belonging to the moment and celebrating the everyday.” Like how international libraries interpreted the concept of libraries for people, hygge has been incorporated into both library architecture and services. Examples that Stephens (n.d.) provided in the module eight lecture is the design of the Anythink Library and the program, Tea Tree Gully, in Australia.
When I first saw the architecture design of the Anythink Library, I assumed that the library was located overseas because outdoor interactive spaces are not frequently seen in U.S. libraries. Seeing the success of hygge in architecture of the Anythink Library makes me believe that it is possible for future libraries in the U.S. to incorporate the concept of hygge into their design. For example, hygge could be used to help libraries design outdoor play courtyard areas to provide families with a safe and comfortable environment where they can socialize with other families of the community while allowing their kids to have a space to play. Incorporating playgrounds can also alleviate staff from the stress of having to ensure that the library remains a quiet place for other people to read and study.
As for the integration of hygge in programs, I know that if the public were offered this program, it would attract a large audience. Although libraries would be unable to offer alcoholic beverages, this can easily be replaced with hot chocolate, coffee, or tea. Ironically, I was just discussing the topic of adult story time with my coworkers. Children’s story time is popular at our library, why not have an adult story time event? The adult librarian always hosts a monthly book club event at the library for adults, why not transform it into an adult story time event? It would be a fun and interactive event.
References
Stephens, M. (n.d.). New Horizons [recorded lecture]. Canvas. https://sjsu-ischool.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=a33699b1-6c88-48f5-b684-af1001336869
Stephens, M. (2019). Wholehearted librarianship: Finding hope, inspiration, and balance. ALA Editions.
5 Comments
Heather B
Thank you for noting this aspect! It’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately as well. We have a very tiny branch library that is really cozy, and I think people are very much drawn to it. This library revamped its adult book club earlier this year into “Picture Book Club for Adults”. Each month the members are invited to bring 3-5 picture books to share that speak to them. As someone who often turns to picture books on rough days, moving forward I’m going to try and think more creatively about how this concept can apply elsewhere. 🙂
Camillia T
Hi Heather,
I love the idea of bringing picture books to a book club. I feel like many people assume picture books to be only books which is inaccurate. Comic books are picture books and even some biographies can be picture books. Most programs in my area are mostly catered towards older adults and I think it is fair considering the fact that most middle-aged people either have kids or demanding jobs.
missjennthelibrarian
Hi, Heather!
First of all, I love the graphic. It invokes the feelings of hygge: warm, cozy, and relaxation. One of the things that I like about the concept of hygge, is celebrating the everyday tasks. Sometimes, all we need is a different perspective, particularly in winter when everything seems bleak and colorless. I loved reading your post!
Camillia T
Hi Heather,
When I was reading about the concept of hygge, it reminded me of when one of the libraries near me had an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party. Besides getting to sip tea out of porcelin tea cups and eating snacks, patrons got to decorate a glass mirror with little figurines from the book. Although I was unable to attend because of work, I did get a lot of positive feedback from patrons, especially the part about sipping tea from tea cups. The librarian could have opted to make the tea and serve it into styrofoam cups, but she wanted to create a cozy vibe. Recently, I attended an adult program at the branch and while we were waiting for the program to start, I heard a lot of people talk positively about it.
Michael Stephens
@ctaher @ctaher, thrilled you covered this. It’s one of my favorite things, and I love seeing it come into play in library spaces. One thought about the adult story time is that our local library actually has its adult book club offsite at one of the breweries in town or sometimes also at the cider place, I think, so there are ways to get around that not being able to maybe serve a beer or a glass of wine at the library. I’m reminded of the library that I visited in Amsterdam many years ago that had a full-service restaurant on the top level, including a full bar.