As we dig further into how libraries are hyperlinked communities, I feel more inspiration from all the creative and thoughtful ways libraries break free from the traditional ideas of what a library is thought to be and instead practice ideas that actually reach out into the community and provide access to resources, lifting up its members.<\/p>\n
I was especially touched by the library pop-up program at laundromats in the Bronx. A brilliant idea to expose those unaware of library resources while they are waiting for a chore to finish up. Even though it\u2019s just a short 30-minutes or so, now they know libraries are a reliable source for practical information and they could stop by if they need more assistance or have more questions later on regarding other topics. It also seemed like a great way to reach all different age groups within the community because the majority of people need to wash their clothes.<\/p>\n
Accessibility and exposure to what libraries offer are important. From Warner’s (2024) article, hold lockers can make all the difference for someone who may have health issues. Just having the option to pick up the items they chose to borrow without having to expose themselves due to health compromises is all they might need in order to use library services. Having a little kiosk or area to borrow books in an area of public transit like Halifax International Airport is also a great idea! For those who travel often or are doing a round trip, being able to borrow a book for a short duration is better than having to buy a marked up book. I understand that the chances of books not being returned in this setting is greater, but there probably is a way to track different types and values of books provided to patrons so that not too many library resources and staff energy are lost in this setting.<\/p>\n
The last part I will mention that resonated with me was Ciara Eastell’s Ted Talk, “How Libraries Change Lives.” She spoke about how the resources of a library should be available to everyone, no matter their background or income. She also says libraries help build community in a world where loneliness has been on the rise and I think this is a very important point. I recently attended a mental health panel with a clinical expert and he was a strong advocate for “purpose instead of pills.” In short, he advocated that building and belonging in a community should be prioritized instead of being written a prescription as the first solution. Of course there are many nuances and situation specific aspects, but overall, community is healthy and benefits all.<\/p>\n
–@patricia<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As we dig further into how libraries are hyperlinked communities, I feel more inspiration from all the creative and thoughtful ways libraries break free from the traditional ideas of what a library is thought to be and instead practice ideas that actually reach out into the community and provide access to resources, lifting up its … Continue reading Reflections on Hyperlinked Communities<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":849,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/849"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17\/revisions\/21"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/ppham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}