Reflective Blogging- Hyperlinked Communities

While going through our module on hyperlinked communities I was particularly struck by the idea of a library as being a central “figure” so-to-speak, in a community. I mean, that’s certainly one of the points of the module, right? But to be honest it’s been so long since I’ve seen that concept tackled in any way beyond the theoretical (and frankly romantic), that seeing how a library can really be a pillar of the local community made the possibility of doing so in my own community feel more viable or feasible, if you like.

Singapore’s National Library

The Dokk1 in Denmark really did a lot of heavy lifting here. After our lecture in module 4 I did some digging on my own to learn more and I can see why it’s considered the benchmark for what a modern library can do and be for the community within and around it. I was also particularly intrigued by a few articles in module 5 talking about the positive impact libraries/books have on our physical and metal health. It very much reminded me of the similar studies done proving that spending time in nature can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

This all got me thinking about what I do and don’t find comforting in library spaces. I certainly love to spend any free time I have reading or just in bookish environments, but I realized I don’t tend to seek out my local libraries very often. I spent some time reflecting on this and came to the conclusion that a library space that would help me with my anxiety and and stress would probably need to look different than what is currently available.

Woollahra Library in Sydney

Basically, this all got the creative juices flowing and I started to think about how we might take these ideas and create a community focused library that is built to counteract the immense and unnatural stressors we live with every day, keeping in mind my personal peculiarities because I know I’m not alone in needing gentler spaces. I wanted plants to be a big part of this because I think we can mash them together for something truly special.

This isn’t a new idea of course, I know there are libraries that have already done this work or parts of it. I’ve even seen some bookstores that appear to be working towards a less sterile or industrial feel, which is pretty cool. More plants, more natural light, more personal space.

Bart’s Books- The world’s largest outdoor bookstore

For my part, I decided to create a collage to help solidify some of my thoughts. While I appreciate the strives we’ve made in library design, for me I tend to get medical office vibes. I can’t speak for others of course but as someone who doesn’t thrive in bright artificial light or  empty spaces where people still tend to end up bunched together (I have a big personal bubble), I think there might be room improve these concepts with a more soothing atmosphere.

Museums and aquariums often strike a good balance of selective and/or indirect bright natural light. When light is artificial it’s not bright whites. They’re also often large but they make use of that space to keep people spread out. For me that’s the ticket to keeping my nerves calm. Space and thoughtful lighting.

Concept Collage

Hopefully this collage conveys what I’m talking about. Pretty sure I’m more than over the word limit here but I’d love to read what other people find soothing about libraries or what changes they would make to build a library that might be more universally comfortable for patrons. Sorry if I strayed from the prompt professor, this idea ran away with me.

Sources:

https://bartsbooksojai.com/

https://hk.science.museum/en/web/scm/index.html

https://www.metmuseum.org/

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/home

https://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/Library

 

INFO 287 Assignment X

Compassionate Librarianship: Dignity and Inclusion

I’ve been reflecting on this assignment as we’ve been doing our readings and completing our modules. For me the thing that truly stands out in my mind, and is reflected in my memories from childhood, is the importance of making people feel included and dignified in the library space, whatever form that might take.

I’ll explain further. One of my most enduring memories from childhood is the scramble at the end of the year to get yearbooks and pay back library fees. This being school libraries the fees generally weren’t exorbitant amounts(unless a student lost or damaged a book beyond saving). Still, it was part of the closing events of every school year. The reason I think this stuck with me so much is the way it highlighted students who could not afford the fees or who were in circumstances that made borrowing books from the library harder for them to manage.

Though I don’t remember the exact reactions of my classmates I do remember how it made their personal business and financial/home lives very public and I’m quite sure it was humiliating. These students were often reluctant to use the library unless class required it, and I distinctly remember this as a thread reaching from elementary school all the way up through high school when I used to assist in the library for open period.

I feel strongly that a library should be a space people feel excited to visit. Certainly nobody should dread the experience or worry about what it will do to their social standing in society. Doing away with late fees is a huge first step in making that a reality, I believe. Monetary concerns are often the first level of gatekeeping in information institutions, taking on many forms but late fees are a huge and universal one. In The Last Taboo: Abolishing Library Fines (2009) Daniel Sifton explains that fines have a huge impact on how people perceive the library- often one most of us do not want to foster in the community. Sifton states,

“Rather than talking about “getting” patrons as though they were villains or bandits, we should reframe the conversation and focus on why they are not coming into the library.

Surely the presence of fines plays a role in this. Not all fines stories invoke hysteria but it is surprisingly easy to find tales of families being denied mortgages, facing arraignments (Siegler), or even prison sentences (“Serious About Overdues”30), all stemming from overdue library books. The fact that we tend to laugh at them only highlights how outrageous they are.

These examples, although extreme, detract from the image of the library. Here the shushing librarian becomes an enforcer, a new taxman or bad cop to be feared.”

They seem like such little things, but fines and fees are capable of swiftly undoing all the goodwill, trust, and comfort librarians often work so hard to establish in their communities.

Another step in the right direction is to provide other services that help build community and a sense of belonging/familiarity. My local branch has a seed library and while that’s not particularly unique I’ve noticed and uptick in patrons since the seed library began. It’s a way for people who don’t typically think about the library as a resource to realize there is more to a library than simply borrowing books, as much as many of us may enjoy that. I’ve even seen patrons teaching each other about the seed catalogue, which makes me extremely happy. There are those tendrils of community beginning to grow thanks to a subject that is more relaxed and familiar to many people than a library might be on its own. While I and many of my peers might feel comfortable in a library, for many folks they can conjure images of stuffy outdated spaces where you’re expected to be very academic and buttoned up. That’s not what we want, and seed libraries are a great way to introduce people to what we’re really all about

For a previous class I used my local seed library as inspiration for a mock poster. I didn’t stray from the text on the library’s website to keep it as true to their vision as possible, but it was nice to create a more soft and friendly image that I hope would catch the eye of someone going about their day. This is the feeling I want other to experience at the library.

Like many of my peers and professionals in the field I’ve seen the need for programs specifically geared at teens. We have plenty of events and programs for children and older folks, but for some reasons teens seem to get left out of the conversation, possibly because there is the assumption that they would have little interest anyway- or the common complaint that they are loud and disruptive.

Personally, I feel the right response to this is to create a place where teens can practice communication and engage their minds where they will not be made to feel like burdens or somehow less-than. Michael Casey explains it well in Embracing Services to Teens (2008) during a conversation with Michael Stephens, “…teens will be teens-they need to talk and socialize-so don’t expect a library with a lot of teens to be quiet. Carving out a teen area is great, if you have the room. If not, try to find an area that can be kept relatively quiet and offer it to those users who need a sanctuary.

Issues with teens are often larger community challenges. Kids need interesting and safe things to do. The entire community should be a part of the solution.”

And this right here is where we start. Creating programs and a safe space for teens to spend their time, be that busy with projects or just spending time in a space that is not hostile. Each library will of course be limited by space or funds or whatever other challenges they have to work around, but something as simple as a movie night or sleep over at the library can make a world of difference in inviting teens to become part of the library community. Art is another very simple yet accessible pastime that libraries can provide for teens. Journaling, drawing, teen book clubs, many more things that don’t require the same level of investment that something like a gaming system might. I think in today’s techy world there is the expectation that all teens require state-of-the-art technology to be entertained, and we need to work beyond that to see teens and people, not stereotypes. A gaming system might be fun, but they become obsolete at a ridiculously fast pace. Pens and paper aren’t going anywhere. Conversation isn’t going anywhere. I think scaling back to basics a bit and focusing on creating a comfortable environment is the first step. We can do that for our teens the same way we do it for any other demographic we serve.

References:

SACLib. (n.d.). Sacramento Public Library – seed libraries: Grow a local garden. Sacramento Public Library- Books are just the Beginning. https://www.saclibrary.org/Books-Media/Specialty-Checkouts/Seed-Libraries-en

Sifton, D. J. (2009). The last taboo: Abolishing library fines. Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.21083/partnership.v4i1.935

 Stephens, M. (2008, May 15). Embracing service to teens. Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2008/05/15/embracing-service-to-teens/

 

Introduction

Hello everyone!
Welcome to my blog. 

My name is Brianna (technically Brianne) but please feel free to call me Brie. Yes like the cheese. At least it’s easy to remember.

I chose this course because I’ve heard good things and it felt up my alley. I feel like it’s important to go into the field as up to date with current standards and technology as possible. If nothing else it also makes me feel more confident in what I have to offer as a librarian. I will be taking this course along side digitizing and my e-portfolio. Busy busy.

That said, I’m interested in a few different areas under the MLIS umbrella. I really like archival work so that’s a possible avenue although I’ve heard it’s popular and hard to break into. I also like cataloguing and I’ve been told I’d make a great reference librarian, so we’ll see where I end up. I don’t live in a small city by any means but I also don’t live in the major hubs of California, so I think my job is going to depend on what’s here when I finish my masters-which will happen this summer!(fingers crossed)

A little more about me. I like to read (a LOT), play video games, listen to podcasts, goof off with friends, and casually study anything that interests me. One particular thing I’m interested in is horse populations. I like to follow a few HMAs (herd management areas) and I find coat genetics fascinating. It does mean you become hyper aware of people using images that don’t quite work and/or you can pick out false claims pretty fast. 

For example, these are images from Misty’s Heaven which is a fansite for Misty of Chincoteague (remember those books?). Supposedly this is her possible half sibling named King.

However, if you know what you’re looking for it’s clear these are two different animals. The one on the left is a Grey (which for horses means he’s got a modifier that makes his coat fade to white over time) while the one on the right is a Cremello (meaning this animal carries two copies of the cream gene). You can see the darker points on the face (muzzle, eyes) on the left, which is our hint that despite the poor quality of the image it’s not the same animal as the photo on the right, where you can see there are no dark points on the face. Even the eye is pale. That tells you it’s a horse showing double cream genes. Based on the info on the website it’s just a mistake but it makes the credibility of the claims even less stable.

So that’s basically the kind of leaps my brain is doing at any given moment.

I don’t have a photo of myself to share as a closer but how about a fun video related to one of my favorite movies!

Timely…