Hello, this is Olivia Evans. I am presenting my Virtual Symposium for the hyperlinked libraries. First of all we are going to be focusing on the overview, such as the core concepts we reviewed in each of our sections. Starting with hyperlinked communities then moving onto hyperlinked environments, then new horizons, the power of stories, finally infinite learning and there will be a bit more insights.

First of all hyperlinked libraries, this refers to a broad range of subjects, because hyperlinks can be anything. They are not just people, ideas, or things or even links. They’re anything where you can learn and grow. As we learned, libraries must adapt. They’re becoming more of a place to be and grow as a community and that is why I believe they should implement social platforms and as they increase their digitization by creating these online platforms they can allow those people with disabilities or busy work lives to interact with others in a safe place where libraries can have some oversight. The security aspect would come in as you might require a library card to make sure someone from outside the community isn’t coming in and disturbing people’s peace and comfort.

There is more than just that as I talked about in the hyperlinked environments reflection, safety and security is foundational. We want patrons to have their privacy secured, despite Trump’s recent dismantling of internet security. Libraries should still advocate and try to protect everyone’s private information so they feel protected and happy, because when people feel like they are being respected they will want to interact. They don’t want to just give out their data, you shouldn’t just sell it off at a library to whoever wants it. We can also help educate people on safe browsing habits on the internet as well as how we personally encrypt their data to make sure their searches and social interactions are a safe and respected, and a well foundational place online.

Next are new horizons for the libraries. We should make sure we try to keep an open and wide net, because the possibilities are essentially endless. There are always new technologies and new communities developing. Workshops are a hands on program that has been implemented, they are usually called makerspaces, we can see these develop all over the country with different workshops being developed by community members to help others to grow and become for example more capable in their personal lives or as workforce initiates. Beyond that there are technological advancements we should look to adopt, depending on what the community wants. We can offer them VR, 3D printing, or anything else that’s developing such as computers. Another great example is AI chatbots that can help people learn, they can find recommendations, and just make things easier, but we have to educate people on how to properly use them, because sometimes they can be misused. Maybe hooking them up with our databases can improve them, but they still need to be observed. We need to be flexible, because everyone has their own needs and these things constantly change.

Beyond that though we need to remember stories are a very important part of the library. It’s not just about learning, it’s not just about growing in a more direct education sense, it’s about learning in a way that matters. I personally believe stories are a big foundational aspect of this. As I talked about my most treasured memories of going to the library were at story time, where you can have these personal connections. Just being able to take something home, like stickers as a kid, those lasted forever in physical and in my own memories. I think that creating new communities like reading groups can benefit everybody. As we create these experiences that can be more close and emotional they can last and leave a better impact as people can learn about unique experiences and break down barriers.

Beyond that too we need to remind everyone that these are not just for kids, everyone should visit the library regardless of age, background, or ability like no one should feel left out for having some sort of disability whether that’s being blind or deaf or just any sort of thing. I am personally colorblind, I wouldn’t want to be left out of an experience either. It’s a minor thing, but still we need to show there is always value in learning new skills and you can always learn in a creative and fun way. This is how we need to rebrand libraries as not just as a place that holds books but as a place that can grow, create workshops and group chats and communities.

I want to personally as I grow and go forward into libraries I want to try to make them or at least where I end up working into a townsquare. Somewhere you can just be without having to pay money. A place of comfort that you always feel secure in, even if it’s just to play a game, because ultimately libraries aren’t just about learning, it’s about becoming a better person. Community is a big part of that, you need to feel connected and this is something we also need to learn as librarians. How can we meet the needs of people? We need to ask, we need to understand where we are going and who needs us.

So those are my key takeaways. Those are my plans going forward. I tried to keep this under five minutes, but there is just so much to talk about and it’s just very interesting to talk about, so thank you very much for listening and have a very wonderful day.