Month: October 2026

Reflection 2: CYOA Hyperlinked Environments

There were many nuggets of wisdom and inspiration once again with this Choose Your Own Adventure module. I decided to pursue the School Libraries route, as I currently work in a high school library and although I would be open to various routes of librarianship, my current dream role would be a school librarian. I loved witnessing the amazing examples of school libraries adapting, innovating, and evolving to keep up with our rapidly changing digitized society. I especially marveled at the astute examples of these environments pushing the envelope by transforming their traditional school book warehouses into malleable, imaginative, and creative makerspaces and learning commons. If you cannot infer by now I adore this trend and the participatory nature that is associated with these community hubs. One article that especially resonated with me was the article; “Reinvented School Libraries Unleash Student Creativity” by Sara Luster from 2018. This subtitle of the article caught my attention immediately; “No longer zones of silence, school libraries are now bustling hubs of student social activity that enhance learning and nurture imaginations.” I am enamored with this statement and idea. 

It made me once again ponder upon my current work atmosphere and reflect upon what kind of library I would love to envision myself in for the future. I know it would be difficult to pull off revamping our library completely into having a designated learning commons space, especially since unfortunately the higher ups in our organization tend to have the “we don’t have time for that” and “we’ve always done it this way” mentalities, but it did have me wondering if we could snippet some of these integral concepts and incorporate them into our current program? What if we transformed our central space within our own library to host more frequent, engaging, and creative events? Could we host craft nights, poetry slams, concerts, a plethora of workshops, STEM experiments, robotics challenges, author talks, game nights, seed trading…etc? 

In addition, I would love to gain direct patron feedback. Where can we put a suggestion board or box in our school library? What would the students want their library to be transformed into? What things would they keep vs. discard, what things would they change? What local organizations could we partner with to put on educational and appealing communal events? Could we partner with an animal rescue and have service animals come in to read with our kids? Should we have the kids design and install a trinket trade box in our library, to encourage whimsy? The possibilities are endless, yet it would be illuminating and impactful to see what the users wanted to see within these special and dedicated learning spaces. Even better would be trying to implement and dabble with some of these ideas if feasible. This is the kind of library I want to work in, where curiosity, ideas, and imagination are rampant. I want the users to feel empowered, heard, and valued, where all walks of life along with their ideas are welcome. After all, our main mission is to serve them and our communities. As their needs change, libraries ought to do the same, especially if they want to stay relevant within our rapidly changing informational landscape. 

I believe more than ever we need to capitalize on opportunities for social connection and engagement amongst our peers whilst simultaneously pursuing hands-on learning through these creative ventures. With the inundation and overwhelm of information we experience daily, these creative hubs can serve as a form of reprieve for our minds. There is an inexplicable joy and therapeutic benefit that comes with cultivating curiosity and creativity with your hands with these types of experiences (in my humble opinion). This is such a novel and alternative way for students to learn within our modern society. With the advances in technology, I have been able to witness firsthand that students, regardless of walk of life or age, can tend to have a hard time focusing or sitting too long within a classroom setting these days. As someone who has never been officially diagnosed but recognizes that I have ADHD tendencies, this type of learning is a breath of fresh air for people like me. This participatory trend helps alleviate some of this pressure, in allowing students to move, connect, experiment, and learn hands-on material through this creative and engaging process. This also further heightens students’ abilities for problem solving skills. 

Another excellent library example mentioned within our course that excels in this maker space genre is The Bubbler in Madison, Wisconsin. I currently work in Wisconsin, and I hope to go there in person one day to see this incredible learning space firsthand. I dream of working in a library where we have a dedicated carved out area employed for various means of tinkering, creativity, collaboration, learning, and imagination such as this. I have been an artist for quite some time and have participated in myriad workshops throughout my lifetime and hope to continue to do so as they inevitably bring me tremendous amounts of joy and personal growth. I wish I had more chances such as this to engage with as a learner when I was growing up in school in my own library. I am thankful for my experiences that I had, especially being surrounded by books, but it is fascinating to see the massive amounts of innovation and exploration that libraries have achieved in veering in this direction. I look forward to seeing greater possibilities that blossom from this movement. I will leave you with some of my favorite quotes from the article below; 

“ ‘Back in the day, people were information seekers and consumers,’ explains Priscille Dando, coordinator of library information services in Fairfax County, Virginia. ‘Now, information is easier to come by so people want to create something.’ 

‘Librarians are a change agent,’ says Dando. ‘Certified librarians get the chance to work with everyone in the school and make a difference in the way people operate, teach, and learn.’ 

Jones believes librarians should take this unique opportunity to shape and influence their school, staying up to date with changing times and innovative ways to teach. ‘Being a teacher is about adapting,’ says Jones, ‘and education is a practice.’” 

Reflection 1: Hyperlinked Communities: Libraries as Third Spaces Capitalizing on Health and Joy

There are numerous facets and key themes that have brought tremendous insights and modes of inspiration thus far within this course. One idea that has permeated throughout this course and within this Hyperlinked Communities module that resonated with me was the importance of libraries being designated safe places, inviting joy, creativity, and connection, whilst simultaneously serving as healing havens to many. Libraries not only promote healing through the power of books but through a variety of ways in allowing people to gather, connect, create, and unite together for innovation, enjoyment, entertainment, and even wellness. It is awe inspiring and invigorating to witness the profound examples on how these spaces push the envelope and are able to ignite pure joy and improve people’s lives in a plethora of ways for health and their overall well being. 

This idea of libraries serving as third spaces relates to some of my recent work experience in the high school library I currently work in. This is my very first library gig, and it has had many challenges to say the least (that is a whole other story, I would love to share sometime), but I absolutely adore the daily work and the diverse students I serve. An anecdote from the other day illuminates the essential duty that libraries and librarians have in providing these safe yet joyful spaces, all the while ideally improving mental health for their range of patrons while present in these sacred refuges. There is some variation of course, but for the most part we have the same groups of kids every morning that come in and hang out in the library before their day of classes begin. One of the students I have become close with, she shared with me she is trans and gay and that this current administration has made her feel incredibly uneasy, even at school, yet she feels safe in the library. I told her how delighted I was in her sharing this with me and wanted to reiterate that everyone here in the library is invited, included, welcome, celebrated, and safe in my book. She finished this encounter with me by literally stating; “Being here at the library with my friends every morning is the best part of my day. It really helps me ground myself before the day ahead.” These sentiments were warming music to my ears and pulled at my deep and massive heartstrings. These are the kinds of values and feelings I hope to embody, encourage, and invite to ALL that come to our library (no matter what library I work in). 

This exchange made me wonder how we can take this a step further? How can we continue to reach out to all of the students and beyond to make them feel even more welcome, to spark joy, acceptance, and curiosity? In addition, it got me thinking about how these comforting feelings hopefully improved this student’s sense of belonging, well-being, and community all in one in knowing she has a safe place she can always come to throughout the school day. How can we reach the populations in the school that may be struggling, that are nonusers, that could utilize these spaces to promote a better sense of belonging and well-being? How can we continue to improve their lives? What are some ways to better capitalize on health, wellness, and overall well-being for all within our school? Students, teachers, and staff? How can we inspire and promote these feelings beyond a diverse and inclusive collection of books (which we luckily and proudly have)? 

I do not have these multifaceted answers yet, but it has certainly been illuminating and encouraged me to be ever more reflective in compiling ideas and concrete strategies to better serve these communities whilst simultaneously improving their lives in the process. In my opinion, these kinds of experiences fully encapsulate the mission and values that ought to be firmly established within any and all information organizations.

This module had some wonderful examples on how libraries play an instrumental role in improving their patrons lives, especially in regards to benefitting their health and simultaneously harnessing joy. The Senior Project Manager for the Victorian Public Library System stated how their libraries collaborated with various focus groups and health organizations to employ programs and toolkits to become more equipped in addressing health and well-being within their communities. He writes; “Libraries for Health and Wellbeing:  A strategic framework for Victorian public libraries towards 2024 outlines the role and priorities for Victoria’s public libraries in supporting community health and wellbeing. It helps to provide solutions for how libraries can contribute to better health and wellbeing outcomes through programs, services, and partnerships under three impact areas: social connection, mental wellbeing and physical health” (Greenwood, 2022). 

This integral tenet was echoed in the article titled; ‘Free, non-judgemental, accessible’: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and wellness. This article conveys several critical points that I resonated with deeply in my heart as an information professional. The essential points asserting; “A recent survey shows 92% of the people think of libraries as a safe place, libraries are home to more than just books, these safe spaces can help fight loneliness and find new friends, experts say” (Hasan, 2022). This article was beautiful and poignant in showcasing how libraries are places of refuge, have filled voids for many, and benefit the human connection in allowing unexpected friendships to blossom whilst simultaneously combating loneliness and promoting fun. It also further instills this massive concept that continues to recur throughout this course, that libraries are evolving well past mere book repositories. These spaces continue to evolve into learning commons, informational and community hubs. It is promising and exciting to see the proliferation of programming, services, and events in libraries that are increasing, catering to improving health and wellness across the board for patrons. As an avid yogi and mindfulness proponent, I would love to incorporate some wellness inspired events within our own library to serve as healthful options for our users. 

Jina DuVernay, Adult Services Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia succinctly claims the importance of increasing joy in everyday life, especially when it comes to the workings of our libraries. She claims; “Joyous library programming can be a game-changer for many patrons. In a world with so much going on–oppositions, debates, challenges and uncertainties—the library can be a reprieve for folks, especially those who take advantage of the library’s programming. We all need a little (or a lot) more joy in our lives. Programming that provides a bit of fun, a chance to learn something new and meet new people helps patrons feel good. People may not feel joyful in the workplace, the world, or even in their homes, but library programs can supplement a sense of joy and lightheartedness in everyday life” (2024). She pointedly illuminates that we can capitalize on this joy by being: inviting, inquisitive, and interested with our users and their varied interests. I wholeheartedly agree that with how fast paced and overwhelming our everyday lives have become, having tiny pockets of whimsy, joy, and solace needs to be encouraged whenever possible. I think it is amazing that libraries are capitalizing on this integral trend. More joy = a more healthful, well rounded, and fulfilling life, period. It is more vital than ever to take care of ourselves and one another, it is nearly impossible to give to others when your own cup is depleted. I hope to inspire those around me with my embodiment of joy, passion, and empathy, this type of energy is infectious to those around you. 

These sentiments were further strengthened in reading Dr. Stephen’s article; Beyond Buzzwords Ten Invitations to Build Library Connection and Community. These were all fantastic insights on building connections between users and our libraries, yet the ones that popped out to me that built upon these themes were: honoring small moments and cultivating a connection of care. Dr. Stephens eloquently and thoughtfully emphasizes in honoring small moments; “Sometimes a single conversation can shift someone’s view of what the library is”, and when cultivating a culture of care; “Infuse every touchpoint with kindness. Celebrate contributions. Make space for reflection and rest. Center the emotional labor that often goes unseen. Kindness scales” (Stephens, 2025). As librarians, we have several superpowers, yet I feel that the power of promoting joy, kindness, wellness, a love of learning, and inclusivity, is needed more than ever in building hope, acceptance, and connection within our modern society. I hope to promote these ideals and more within my own library experiences now and in the future.  

References: 

DuVernay, J. (2024, June 12). There is joy for all: Tips for joyous library programming | programming librarian. Programminglibrarian.Org. https://programminglibrarian.org/articles/there-joy-all-tips-joyous-library-programming

Greenwood, C. (2022). Healthy library, healthy life. Incite, 43(6). https://doi.org/10.3316/informit.764132483269438

Hasan, T. N. (2022, October 20). ‘Free, non-judgemental, accessible’: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and wellness. SBS Language. 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

Stephens, M. (2025). Beyond buzzwords: Ten invitations to build library connection and community. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/f05u6l0d50k8js28vgokz/Beyond-Buzzwords-Ten-Invitations-to-Build-Library-Connection-and-Community.pdf?rlkey=2i1b76g18h9t2qxmq3s1y7q90&st=of4tisuf&e=1&dl=0