The Power of Stories

After watching the module ten lecture, I was intrigued by the ways in which libraries connect with the community through stories using modern technology. As said by Stephens (2019), “libraries should keep stories, share stories, and make stories” (p. 92). One of the most interesting examples discussed by Stephens (n.d.) was a program called the Community Oral History Project by the New York Public Library (NYPL). According to the NYPL (n.d.), this project “celebrates New York City’s unique neighborhoods and diverse people. It preserves and documents history by collecting the stories of those who have experienced it.” This program gave users the opportunity to listen to stories told by other members of the community. Another example from the lecture is how both the Cedar Rapids Public Library and Dokk1 libraries have used Instagram to give library users the chance to share their stories about their experiences using the library (Stephens, n.d.). By sharing users’ stories, libraries are connecting with their communities while also giving members of the community the opportunity to relate and connect with one another.  

The use of podcasts, social media, and emojis are examples of the ways in which libraries can improve and enhance users’ experience in a library. One of the ways libraries can use technology for storytelling is using Virtual Reality (VR) software to immerse users into virtual versions of a story, giving patrons the ability to interact with the environment at their own pace. Another way is by creating interactive, media-rich timelines, using software like TimelineJS. TimelineJS can be used by libraries to create historical stories about their neighborhood and community members or to narrate the history of a library or institution. As stated by Johnson (2018, as cited in Eberhart, 2018), “storytelling is an important tool for libraries to engage their communities…[because they] can demonstrate the roles they are capable of playing, and they are an ideal place to record and preserve these memories and experiences” (para. 6). 

References

Eberhart, G. M. (2018). Sharing people’s stories: Storycorp partners with public libraries. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/sharing-peoples-stories/

New York Public Library. (n.d.). Community oral history project. https://www.nypl.org/community/outreach/oral-history

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

Stephens, M. (n.d.). The power of stories [recorded lecture]. Canvas. https://sjsu-ischool.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=25a905bc-6739-4f68-afea-af10013f32fb