Author: Rachel Leverenz

Hygge is a Danish term related to coziness. It is a state of mind that focuses on building comfort, connections, community, and well-being (Stephens, 2019). When we apply the hygge concept to our work in the library, this means creating inclusive welcoming spaces in the library that bring people together, and it is a resounding focus on people, not books (Stephens, 2025).

Hygge in a Technical College Library

I work in a small technical college library that has seen declining use of the physical library space in the past few years, and library staff have been tasked with making the library a more welcoming space where students will want to hang out. As I learned about hygge in this module, I was very surprised and happy to see that several plans we have started already align with this comfort and community philosophy. One big change we made was getting rid of about a dozen desktop computers. These computers took up a lot of space and were largely unused. To fill the space, we ordered two large soft couches. (See the photograph below.) Students love the couches! I have seen everything from groups meeting there to students studying while their kids slept on the couches. Other campus departments are also impressed with the couches and are looking to purchase the same ones for their own spaces.

New couches in Lakeshore Library (own photo)

We also recently purchased a cart and a Keurig coffee machine. We are going to offer free snacks and hot beverages to students, and brand this the snack cart. It will be strategically placed by the library desk. Once students have been lured in with free food, library staff will be conveniently located to engage students in conversation. Another goal is to create a space where student parents can study and their kids can be safely entertained. Right now, the general idea is to create a comfy study room with toys and an early literacy kit.

The hygge state of mind can also apply to library programming. Again, it was great to see that some of the programs we have run fall under this category. For example, we put out a Finals Relaxation Station at the end of every semester. (See below photograph.) It is just a table with some relaxing activities (origami, coloring, wordsearches, crosswords puzzles, etc.) and some snacks. It is a nice restful place for students (and staff!) to sit down and take a break during a busy and stressful time of the school year.

Finals Relaxation Station display (own photo)

Ideas for Expansion

This module’s readings and explorations got me thinking about other ideas for things we could be doing in my library to create hygge’s tenants of coziness, well-being, and community. Specifically, the Lauersen (2024) article recommended thinking about how the library brings value and impacts the community, with considerations for four dimensions of culture: emotional, intellectual, creative, and social. Inherently, the library brings much intellectual value to the campus community, and some of our recent space upgrades have created a more conductive social space. I think there is the greatest opportunity for us to consider how the library can impact the emotional and creative campus environment. One idea I’m excited about is playing ambiance music in the library. We could collaboratively create playlists with students, and we could also have designated quiet hours to be cognizant of people who have sensory considerations. I think this could benefit students’ emotional well-being. My Innovation Strategy and Roadmap project also highlighted encouraging student creativity through photography that would be donated to the college archive to document student life. Finally, I really liked the idea presented in the Stephens (2019) chapter about the library acknowledging important life moments. As an academic library, we already play a part in important life events (graduation, job offers, passing an important test, et.), and I am excited to consider how our library might encourage our students and celebrate their success better.

References

Lauersen, C. (2024, August 25). The value of libraries from Roskilde to Toronto. The Library Lab. https://christianlauersen.net/2024/08/25/the-value-of-libraries-from-roskilde-to-toronto/

Stephens, M. (2019). Hygge state of mind. In Wholehearted librarianship: Finding hope, inspiration, and balance (pp. 63-65). ALA Editions.

Stephens, M. (2025). The hyperlinked library: New models [Video]. The Hyperlinked Library. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/

Students walk over bridge at Lakeshore Technical Institute [Photograph]. (1985). Lakeshore College Archives. https://content.mpl.org/digital/collection/lakeshore/id/2890/rec/9

What is the idea?

Idea Overview

This is an initiative to engage Lakeshore College students in preserving and sharing their own college experiences and history. This program will be run by the Lakeshore College Archives. The archive will provide students with a camera (either a digital camera or an instant camera with film) and a worksheet to fill out basic metadata information. The archive will partner with student organizations, and individual students can also participate. The students will donate the images to the archive, and archive staff will process the images for preservation and addition to the archive collection. The images will be made publicly available through the college’s digital archive, with the student photographer listed as the material’s creator. The archive will then print and frame student images to hang in the archive photo gallery located inside the college library. In collaboration with the student photographers, the archive will host a small exhibit opening party where the students can talk about their photographs. Additionally, throughout the course of the initiative, archive staff will present information literacy sessions related to researching in the college archive and managing personal digital files.

Archive photo gallery located in Lakeshore Library (own photo)

Project Goals

• Give students opportunities to experiment with different photography technologies
• Engage students in the sharing of their own stories and amplify their voices
• Teach archival research skills and digital literacy skills
• Expand the historical record in the college archive to be inclusive of student voices and experiences
• Promote the college archive and increase student use of archives

Description of Community

Lakeshore College is a rural technical college with a yearly enrollment of about 1,500 FTE (Lakeshore College, 2026). The college offers technical and associate degree programs. BIPOC students represent 22.86% of the student body (Lakeshore Technical College, 2022). This is a commuter college, and many students are adults balancing work, family, and school.

Who We Are Helping

Students will be the focus of this project, but the whole campus community will benefit from a more diverse representation in the archives.

How We Are Helping

• Promoting a sense of belonging and strengthening community
• Encouraging students’ creativity through photography
• Providing camera technology and giving students opportunities to play with old-school film medium
• Preserving current history and creating a more accurate and diverse historical record in the archives
• Promoting digital literacy skills

Mission & Institutional Context

The archive’s mission is “to collect, preserve, and make accessible materials that document the history of Lakeshore College and to serve as an educational resource to support research and learning” (Lakeshore College Library, 2026). The archive serves Lakeshore students, staff, alumni, and external community members. The college archive is managed by library staff and is physically very small. All archival materials are stored on a few shelves within the library. The archive is relatively new. Historical materials that had been housed throughout campus were brought to the library and organized in 2022. A small digital archive was launched in 2023. Almost all the archival materials were produced and donated by college employees, particularly the marketing department, and there is very little representation of student created materials. Now that the archive has been set up, work is focused on collecting and preserving current materials that record college history. Due to the collection gap related to student produced materials, priority has been placed on student life related materials. The Archiving Student Life project will bring these missing voices to the archive and will allow students to share and document their own experiences.

Lakeshore College Archives (own photo)

Action Brief Statement

Convince Lakeshore College students that by preserving and sharing records of their experiences at Lakeshore College they will contribute to a more complete and diverse college historical record which will create opportunities for research, engagement, and strengthening the campus community because the archive’s mission is rooted in sharing college history and supporting learning.

Inspiration

The literature shows there is a growing movement to acknowledge that “student experience has long been poorly and selectively captured by university archives” (Becker, 2017) and that only “a small portion of archival holdings represent student-generated material” (Buchanan & Richardson, 2012). These articles and case studies highlight efforts institutions have done to remedy this.

• Washington State University Vancouver Library Student Organization Documentation Initiative (Becker, 2017)
• University of California, Los Angeles’s Collaborative Bruin Archives Project (Buchanan & Richardson, 2012)
• University of Virginia’s Archiving Student Life for the Third Century Project and Workshop (Shaw, 2019)
• Archiving Student Life at Iowa State University (Wells, 2025)

Guidelines & Policies

• Lakeshore College Archives (2026) has a collection development policy that guides all archive acquisition decisions. This addresses what type of material may be added to the collection. This means the content of the materials must be related to Lakeshore College. The collection development policy also maintains that the copyright of all donated materials must be transferred to the archive. This will allow the archive to include the material in the publicly accessible digital archive.
• Copyright touches ethical and access issues. Lakeshore College Archives (n.d.) has a gift agreement form that will be used to formally transfer copyright to the archives.
• Privacy concerns will be considered if a student wishes to submit materials but remain anonymous. They would need to sign a gift agreement form but would not be identified in the metadata in the publicly accessible digital archive. A student could also choose not to have their pictures exhibited in the photo gallery or to have their name be anonymous.
• Technostress—feeling overwhelmed by the amount of new technology getting thrown as you—is very real problem (Stephens, 2008). This could certainly affect students. If students would rather elect to use their own device (like a smartphone) to take pictures instead of using a library issued digital camera or instant camera, they can choose to do that. This flexibility offers opportunities for a more inclusive program and student learning experience (Stephens, 2008).
• Libraries and archives need to be transparent with their stakeholders. Program ideas and policies should be made public (Stephens, 2025). Project guidelines should be shared with participants. Especially with matters of transferring copyright, we want to make sure that participants are informed and consent to archive policies.
• A participatory service mindset means that the user is involved in planning (Stephens, 2025). Students should be consulted about the project’s guidelines in the planning phase.

Timeline for Implementation

Planning is important when rolling out a new library service. The service should align with the library’s mission, and all planning should be done with the user in mind. Communication is important as the plan needs to be promoted to stakeholders, and staff must buy into the plan. The plan also needs to be flexible to accommodate surprise challenges (Stephens, 2004).

Note. Infographic template created by Pitstud using Canva.

• Phase 1: Planning (2 months) – create project proposal and obtain funding, collaborate with student life staff and student organization groups, purchase equipment, catalog new equipment, create metadata worksheet, staff training, prepare information literacy sessions
• Phase 2: Implementation (3 months) – marketing efforts, check out camera equipment, check in with participants, obtained signed gift agreement forms, process donated student photographs for addition to the archive collection and for ingestion into the publicly accessible digital archive, print and hang student photographs in the archive gallery, collaboratively work with student photographers to plan exhibit gallery party, lead information literacy sessions
• Phase 3: Evaluation (1 month) – create and send out participant survey, obtain collection statistics, compile statistics from information literacy sessions and exhibit gallery party, identify problems and make improvements
• Phase 4: Expand (2 months) – adjust project plan for improvements learned in last cycle, collaborate with digital photography faculty to have students from the photography class participate in the program, build stronger partnerships with student life organizations and offer assistance with records management

Marketing & Promotion

• The program will be branded “Lenny’s Lens.” (Note: Lenny the snow leopard is the college’s mascot.)
• Phase 2 (implementation) will be launched in October to celebrate National American Archives Month.
• The marketing message to students will emphasize that their story matters and this is an opportunity for them to share and preserve their story.
• Internal Promotion: mass email messages, short article in the student e-newsletter, post fliers in the library and on campus bulletin boards, social media post, announcement on library website, attend and speak at student organization meetings
• External Promotion: Reaching alumni could be valuable for this project. They might have materials from their time as a student they want to donate. Alumni might also have an interest in viewing this collection when completed and attending the photo gallery launch party. Social media would be used to promote to this alumni group.
• Note: Separate communication will be used to promote the information literacy sessions. This message would focus on learning how to preserve your own digital history.

Staff Training & Readiness

“FUJIFILM INSTAX MINI” by ORANIT DORON is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

• One library staff person has archives responsibilities and will be putting on this program. That would be me! The only new process or technology I would need to learn is the instant camera. I will need to educate myself about how to operate and care for the camera and film. I will also need to research how to preserve instant pictures as this might be different than other types of photographs that are currently in the archive.
• Other library staff will be updated about all aspects of the project so they can answer any patron questions that might come up. I will handle the updates and any training requests that come from other staff. I will also create a short reference document for other library staff that briefly explains the different stages in this program.

Evaluation

• Archive collection statistics: number of student life materials, number of student creators
• Student participant feedback gathered through surveys
• Attendance statistics: information literacy sessions, photo gallery launch party
• Success stories: hope to share many stories of student engagement and excitement for the archive

Future Expansion

• Faculty partnerships: possibility to collaborate with faculty of digital photography class to have their students participate in the archive initiative. This would ensure a larger number of student participants, and the project could be run more frequently to align with class offerings.
• Further develop partnerships with student life organizations: possibility for archives to offer records management assistance. Digital records are fragile, and the archives can help the students maintain and preserve their own history (Beccera-Licha, 2017). The archives could also produce a LibGuide specifically for student organizations that would help simplify the records management process.

References

Becerra-Licha, S. (2017).  Participatory and post-custodial archives as community practice. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/10/participatory-and-post-custodial-archives-as-community-practice

Becker, J. (2017). Bringing student voices into the university archives: A student organization documentation initiative case study. In The Library With The Lead Pipe, 205-24. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2017/bringing-student-voices/

Buchanan, S., & Richardson, K. (2012). Representation through documentation: Acquiring student and campus life records through the Bruin Archives Project. The American Archivist, 75(1), 205-224. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.75.1.e61061ul8701076u

Lakeshore College. (n.d.). Lakeshore College strategic plan scorecard. https://lakeshore.edu/sites/default/files/2026-04/Lakeshore%20College%20Scorecard%20Worksheet%20-%202025-30.pdf

Lakeshore College Archives. (n.d.). Lakeshore College Archives gift agreement. https://lakeshore.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=75163184

Lakeshore College Archives. (2026). Lakeshore College Archives collection development policy. https://lakeshore.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=83764268

Lakeshore College Library. (2026). Lakeshore College Archives. https://lakeshore.libguides.com/archives

Lakeshore Technical College. (2022, June). Equity report. https://lakeshore.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/hr/LTC-Equity-Report-2022-Final.pdf

Shaw, J. (2019, April 22). Introducing the archiving student life for the third century project and workshop. University of Virginia Library. https://smallnotes.library.virginia.edu/2019/04/22/archiving_student_life/

Stephens, M. (2004). Technoplans vs. technolust. Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2004/11/01/technoplans-vs-technolust/

Stephens, M. (2008). Taming technolust: Ten steps for planning in a 2.0 world. Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2012/05/30/taming-technolust-ten-steps-for-planning-in-a-2-0-world-full-text/

Stephens, M. (2025). The hyperlinked library: Participatory service & transparency [Video]. The Hyperlinked Library. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/

Wells, R. (2025). Archiving student life at Iowa State University. Iowa State University Library. https://instr.iastate.libguides.com/c.php?g=1274598&p=9355624

“Student” by EFF-Graphics is licensed under CC BY 3.0 US

Hybrid learning environments have become the norm in higher education. Some students attend class fully online, some in a physical classroom, and others in a blended mix of both environments. The flexibility offered to students through these different delivery models makes higher education accessible to more students, and research has shown there is not a significant difference in academic success across these models (Educause, 2016).

Libraries evolve with their communities, and academic libraries have also become hybrid environments—regarding collections, services, and spaces. Our services, like reference and instruction, can be delivered both in person and online using multiple different tools. Our collections are now a mix of print and digital resources, and our library spaces need to be both collaborative and conductive to quiet study (Webster, 2017). Beyond homes for stacks of books, many academic libraries now contain academic support and writing centers, technology filled classrooms, makerspaces, and other critical resources for teaching and learning. Far from being obsolete in an ever-changing technology driven world, the academic library “has never been more important…[and] is central in the sense that it is the tool which connects our students wherever they are” (Straumsheim, 2017).

Hybrid Technical College Library

Different patrons and stakeholders have different needs, and the idea of a hybrid library will look different to different groups. I work in a small technical college library. We have one college vice president who constantly advocates for us to move all the books out of our library space. (Library staff are very opposed to this!) On the other hand, there is one college board member who exclaims there are no books whenever he walks through the library. It is hard to make everyone happy, but we do have to try to serve all our populations. I think this all comes down to knowing your patrons and consulting them on what kind of library support they need. For example, our welding department on campus really values our physical course reserves collection, while our writing instructors heavily utilize citation LibGuides and in-person library instructional sessions. Our humanities classes can’t get enough of our Kanopy streaming videos, and our collaborative study rooms are popular with nursing students in study groups. You must observe, keep statistics, and communicate with your stakeholders when looking to make decisions for the future of the lilbrary.

While it might feel like the library is being pulled in different directions, it also means that we can serve more students and faculty. Flexible services and collections mean more accessibility. Yes, it may seem like the library is constantly pivoting, but these adjustments help us stay relevant and connected to student and faculty needs. These Module 6 readings got me excited! I am well positioned as both an online student and a library practitioner to consider how to best enhance the hybrid nature of my library’s resources.

References

Educause. (2016, February). 7 things you should know about….The 2016 key issues in teaching and learning. Educause Learning Initiative. https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2016/2/eli7129pdf.pdf

Straumsheim, C. (2017, March 23). Arizona State University Library reorganization plan moves ahead. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/03/24/arizona-state-u-library-reorganization-plan-moves-ahead

Webster, K. (2017, February 15). Reimagining the role of the library in the digital age: Changing the use of space and navigating the information landscape. London School of Economics and Political Science. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2017/02/15/reimagining-the-role-of-the-library-in-the-digital-age-changing-the-use-of-space-and-navigating-the-information-landscape/?platform=hootsuite

This post is not for any of the official assignments as I feel like I need to be upbeat and positive about serving our communities and patrons when I write those. However, I just wanted to share that some of the readings in Module 5 were hard for me to read. Specifically, the ones focusing on how patrons are always right and about needing to get to know your patrons on an intimate personal level to best serve their needs. I understand the logic behind this. However, it also makes me anxious. Last year, I had a bad experience with patron-perpetrated sexual harassment.  At the time, while dealing with that, I could barely staff the service desk, let alone have any kind of personal conversation with a patron for fear it might happen again.

When we talk about serving our communities, I sometimes forget that I am also a part of my own community, and I deserve to feel safe in the library as well. A year out, I feel much better about patron interactions, and I realize most patrons don’t have bad intentions. I can be personable without being personal. I don’t owe anything to patrons beyond what I am comfortable sharing. This has been a shift in mindset for me. I am better about standing up for myself, and I can still be helpful without it being a detriment to myself. So, folks, use your employee assistance program to talk to counselors. Know your rights. Advocate for yourself, and document things that don’t feel okay. Also, share your struggles with your coworkers because they might be experiencing them too, and you don’t need to struggle alone. Module 5 was all about creating a community that supports all the needs of our patrons. Don’t forget to include staff in this as well!

Modern libraries support their patrons’ social, mental, and physical wellbeing, in addition to their information needs (Greenwood, 2022). As numerous readings in Module 5 attested, this support means libraries, in addition to books, also provide access to technology, the internet, employment resources, food and clothing, mental health resources, and the list goes on and on to include a truly holistic view of patron needs. Libraries are uniquely positioned to do this work. They are considered safe spaces and trusted institutions by many community members (Dixon, 2017). This is important because it means patrons—especially the most vulnerable patrons—feel comfortable coming to libraries to seek help. Libraries are also places of connection. Patrons can connect with each other through library programs like book clubs or craft groups (Hasan, 2022). The library also connects with other community networks (private and governmental) to provide funding for these resources (Williams, 2021).

Example: Summer Lunches

“20210810-FNS-UNC-0015” by U.S. Department of Agriculture is in the public domain

My local public library runs a summer meal program that is a great example of holistic support. During the summer, the library prepares and serves free lunch on weekdays. The goal is to ensure children get fed during the summer. However, these meals are open to anyone. The library serves about 35 – 70 meals a day. This program is funded through donations from local businesses and individuals. One library staff member prepares and serves all the meals, with the help of volunteers. (One of the volunteers is my mom, who was my source for this information.) When I heard about this program, my first thought was this seemed like a waste of staff time. This library only has two full-time staff, and the meal preparation and clean up takes most of the workday for one. This person oversees most of the technical service functions of the library. When I heard she had to do all this cooking, I wondered how she would have time to do her actual job. This module has shown me that meal service is her actual job. The library is doing important work to support the physical well-being of vulnerable children in the community. Allotting library staff time arranging funding sources and cooking meals is absolutely appropriate. They are supporting the holistic needs of their community.

Implications for My Work

I don’t know why I was surprised by this meal program at the public library because the college where I work also focuses on holistic student support. After all, students cannot be successful in their classes if their basic needs are not met. For me in the library, this holistic support mainly means referring students to other departments for help. Other departments on campus offer great services that we in the library do not need replicate. This includes a food pantry, free clothing, transportation vouchers, financial coaching, employment help, etc. Right now, the library mainly contributes to holistic support by providing internet hotspots and technology to students. However, this module has me thinking about how the library is well-positioned as a partner with many campus and community organizations, and we can do more to be a better support for holistic community needs.

References

Dixon, J. (2017, October 23). Convening community conversation. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/convening-community-conversations-programming

Greenwood, C. (2022). Healthy library, healthy life. INCITE, 43(6), 24.

Hasan, T.N. (2022, October 20). ‘Free, non-judgemental, accessible’: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and wellness. SBS Bangla. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/bangla/en/article/free-nonjudgmental-and-accessible-how-your-local-library-is-a-sanctuary-of-health-and-wellness/t15blzsi9

Williams, A. (2021, March 17). How libraries are bridging the digital divide. Internet Society. https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2021/03/libraries-are-bridging-the-digital-divide/

 

Hello everyone! My name is Rachel. I am located in rural Wisconsin. I live in a forest, and my nearest neighbors are cows. I work in a small technical college library. We are a staff of only two. So, my job duties are varied, including: cataloging, collection development, course reserves, reference, staffing the service desk, interlibrary loan, archives, records management, programming, student worker management, etc. Of these duties, I most enjoy cataloging, interlibrary loan, and managing our small college archives. (We launched a digital archive last year, which has been one of my most proud professional moments.) If I am being honest, I will admit that I chose this class as a backup. I originally enrolled in a genealogy class this summer. I am a genealogist and was really excited to take that class, which only seems to run in the summers. Unfortunately, this genealogy class was cancelled. I chose this hyperlinked library class as an alternative because I saw good reviews for the class and the professor. I was also drawn to the patron focus in this class. I work in a technical college where student success is our main priority. So, I think this class could help me improve at work. This semester, I am most excited about the choose your own adventure opportunities. I have never encountered this in a graduate level class!

This is a picture of me in front of the Hogwarts castle at Universal Studios in Orlando. I went there this past January. It was only about 40 degrees most of the trip. However, I escaped -10 degree weather back home in Wisconsin. So, this seemed like a heat wave!