“Librarians have the opportunity to work as partners with faculty, become resources for innovative teaching and learning activities, and guide students as they create new types of content for their course assignments” -Joan Lippincott, 2015

The academic library has long been a place for learning. Unlike the public library, it does not have to go through a transformation to become a classroom. Academic libraries are conducive to instruction including modern technological learning tools that have become essential to digital literacy and learning; this includes things like open online courses that a large amount of people can attend (Stephens, 2016). Though the academic library is inherently a place for instruction, the way this instruction is done has evolved. This got me thinking about the ways academic libraries have changed to adjust to infinite learning and what they can do in the future.

The old idea of academic research projects are highly structured with students having to select from a narrow set of topics and follow a step-by-step plan for research and formatting. To foster infinite learning, library staff should inject creativity into academic research. For one, students should be allowed to pick their own research topics. This not only allows students to be genuinely interested in the research they are doing, but also challenges them to find sources that for their topic or to determine if their topic is even appropriate. The process is going to be messy because students will struggle, and this is okay because this fosters authentic and creative work (Block, 2014). However, it should not be a complete free for all. We should provide structure and assistance throughout the research process. One example of this is to give students a starting place for their research and give them checkpoints to complete certain tasks in the research process.

Static and dynamic learning is a concept developed with grade and high school students in mind, but the ideas can be transferred to university students doing research

This being said, the research process should not be a static one, it should be dynamic. What I mean by this is students should be encouraged to edit their research and topic throughout their research process. This comes with the caveat that a student should not completely switch research topics (unless of course it is very early on in the research process), but perhaps a student shifts their focus to a certain subtopic or change their argument based on the research they have done. This is a change from the mindset that research papers should be done to be completed; the research should be done to learn something new, to change or reinforce a perspective, and to effectively communicate the things the student has learned.

Another essential part of infinite learning in an academic library is to work with a number of research sources and project formats. The old academic library is focused on referring to academic sources and writing papers. This is not to say there is not a time and place for these things because there certainly is. We should be expanding the amount of ways students search for and present information. Interviews, photos, and sound clips can be great sources for information. Even non-academic sources can have their place in academic research, especially when students are learning how to effectively information seek. Sometimes the research can be better presented in a podcast or an infographic. Encouraging this encourage creativity in research, which is what we want to achieve infinite learning.

References

Bell, K. (2017). Static Learning v. Dynamic Learning [Image]. Shake Up Learning. https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/push-boundaries-school-dynamic-learning/static-v-dynamic-2/

Block, J. (2014, January 7). Embracing messy learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/embracing-messy-learning-joshua-block

Lippincott, J. (2015, March 3). The Future for Teaching and Learning | American Libraries Magazine. American Libraries Magazine. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/02/26/the-future-for-teaching-and-learning/

Stephens, M. (2016). The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change, ALA Editions.

Reading about all the ways we share stories got me thinking about what stories are being shared and who shares them, especially in the library. As a library worker, I think a lot about my role in story sharing. I do not find it is my place to share stories that are not mine; however, it is my job to platform other peoples’ stories. Stories take on many forms and can be shared many ways, and it is up to the library to learn how to do stories justice.

Technology provides I was inspired by the StoryCorps partnership with public libraries. This partnership provides libraries with digital tools to create recordings to upload and share as well as trainings for librarians to learn how to effectively help people develop and tell their stories. Having a resource like this can be helpful for reaching people who do not come into the library. In Minnesota where I live, many public libraries offer access to a tool called MN Writes MN Reads. This is an ebook creation and reading tool where Minnesota residents can write and publish ebooks. If a person is looking for something written by a local author, this is a useful resource for them as well. Technologies like these help keep people connected with stories, even if they cannot physically get to the library to share or listen.

As a closing thought, I will share how my library has partnered with a community member to help share her story.. At my library, a local high school Chinese teacher reached out an asked if she could share some artwork she had acquired from her grandparents who were born in China. This gave her her an opportunity to share more about herself, her grandparents, and Chinese culture while also allowing the library staff to be a platform for a story that none of us could have shared otherwise. This also raises the point that stories are not always verbal and can be told through various mediums; in this case, it was artwork. Stories take on all forms and the modern hyperlinked library provides a space for those stories to be shared and consumed.

Reference

Eberhart, G. M. (2018, February 10). Sharing people’s stories: StoryCorps partners with public libraries. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/sharing-peoples-stories/

I have always said that the library has evolved from a space of independent learning to collaboration and creation. Additionally, the public library has become a place that strives for inclusivity and aims to serve all the patrons that come in. The first “public libraries” in the United States were spaces that only the elite could pay to get into. Now public libraries are free, but those who work in these spaces still need to work to understand what the community needs to feel welcome. This sometimes means coming up with innovative ways that allow people to feel welcome a space that may have once been intimidating.

There are many reasons why people need to use the Internet, and the library may be the only place they can do so.

One issue I have in the library that I work at is that if a person does not have a permanent address, they cannot get a library card. I understand why this rule is in place to ensure that the library is being utilized by taxpayers and can be contacted if there are late books. However, this excludes people without a permanent address from using certain library services, or makes it challenging for them. If a person wants to use a computer at my library, they must come to the desk to get a guest pass and they are only allowed an hour compared to the four hours they get if they use a card. The Berkeley Public Library suggested a system where where people without a permanent address could obtain an Easy Access Card. This would give them the ability to do limited check outs and use the computer as if they had a library card. This removes value judgement and allows more people such as people without documentation, those experiencing homelessness, and kids in foster care (Rees, 2018). These are groups of people for whom the library is necessary: for access to free internet to apply for jobs, find health information, or take citizenship tests. These are groups who need a warm and quiet place to go, or perhaps a social place (Gaetani, 2018). Whether it by Easy Access Cards or other modifications to library operations, we as library professionals need to make the changes necessary to foster a space where the people who need the library most can feel welcome to use it.

References

Gaetani, M. (2018, November 11). Q&A with Eric Klinenberg. Stanford University. https://casbs.stanford.edu/news/qa-eric-klinenberg

Horrigan, J. B. (2-25, September 15). Chapter 1: Who uses libraries and what they do at their libraries. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/09/15/who-uses-libraries-and-what-they-do-at-their-libraries/

Rees, M. (2018, December 3). No permanent address? No problem. Berkeley library makes it easier for those without homes to get library cards. Berkeleyside. https://www.berkeleyside.org/2018/12/03/no-permanent-address-no-problem-berkeley-library-makes-it-easier-for-those-without-homes-to-get-library-cards

Information centers have had a shift from individual, linear research to being environments where collaboration, creation, and open-ended information searches are welcomed and encouraged. Academic institutions are no exception to this trend. Libraries at universities are necessary to guide students in their curiosity and open-ended exploration of topics they find interesting.

With the goal of being an academic librarian, there are a few things I would like to implement into my future career. I want to encourage students to explore research topics that interest them and consult a variety of sources. Direct reference questions are on the decline while complex, interpersonal questions have increased; this is cause for academic librarians to shift the mindset on how they guide students in conducting research (Mathews, 2015). We need to encourage student curiosity by designing research projects that allow students to explore their own interests without becoming overwhelmed by the possibilities.

Even if students have something they really want to interest, they may face challenges that we have to guide them through. For one, the options for what to research might seem overwhelming. This could result in students not selecting a plausible research topic; perhaps it’s too specific, too broad, or there is not enough scholarly research to do a research project on it. Further, the hyperlinked environment of viable scholarly sources is vast; students may not know where to look for sources or what sources to look for.

Here are a few resources with information on how information professionals can help students to overcome these challenges to find interesting and relevant research topics.

Sparking curiosity – Anne-Marie Deitering and Hannah Gascho Rempel talk about strategies they have implemented at OSU to encourage students to embrace curiosity and promote open-minded, exploratory research. Creating guided activities for students to practice their research skills was helpful for getting students comfortable with research. They also guided students in taking their interests and developing them into appropriate research topics. They found that when students could discover topics they already had interest in, they were more intrinsically motivated do their assignments.

Designing curiosity– Peter Carney talks about the need for students to utilize their curiosity in the age of information overload. He cites research that explains we remember what we think about, not what we are taught. We can One interesting thing that he mentioned is that we cannot suppress teacher curiosity. Teachers should be empowered to create their own teaching methods. This sentiment can be transferred to information professionals. I have had the idea that when I am an academic librarians, I will have students play The Wiki Game. The rules are to get from one Wikipedia page to another through hyperlinks. I thought this would be a fun and creative way to show the interconnectedness of the topics we research and the Internet as a whole.

How to create an effective LibGuide – LibGuides are an excellent tool for information professionals to create a manageable hyperlinked environment for students to determine research topics. We can link databases, have a section on how to conduct an effective search, and add inspiration for searches that may interest students.

How to use Wikipedia in a smart way – Though Wikipedia should not be used as a primary source, it can be used as an exploratory resource. This LibGuide can be shown to students guide them in exploring their interests.

References

Deitering, A-M., & Rempel H. G. (2017, February 22). Sparking Curiosity – Librarians’ Role in Encouraging Exploration. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2017/sparking-curiosity/

Diao, J. (2023, June 1). How To Use Wikipedia in a Smart Way. York College. https://libguides.york.cuny.edu/Wikipedia

Eby, L. (2025, June 18). LibGuides How-To Guide. SJSU. https://library.sjsu.edu/how-to

Mathews, B. (2015, May 27). The Evolving & Expanding Service Landscape Across Academic Libraries. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2015/05/27/the-evolving-expanding-service-landscape-across-academic-libraries/

TedX Talks. (2015, December 1). Designing Curiosity | Peter Carney | TEDxJacksonville [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8nnyjvaYVM&t=105s

Libraries are a space where people can safely exist and find the resources they need to increase their wellbeing. This can be achieved through emphasis on community partnerships. We need to lead with a mindset of community wellbeing, even if it may be challenging or uncomfortable.

Our current political landscape can make it difficult for people to exist safely. There are folks are ostracized directly and indirectly. They face the threat of having their speech suppressed and being treated hatefully. It is vital that the library is a space where all members of a community feel safe. Public libraries in Australia serve as a prime example of what a library should be; they should be a space where patrons of all backgrounds can come to learn skills, gain and share information, actively participate in conversation, and feel a sense of togetherness without bias or judgement (Hasan, 2022).

Libraries are a safe space because they provide resources for the community to address aspects of their health. The Victoria Library System’s Libraries for Health and Wellbeing framework and its accompanying toolkit lay out ways for libraries to serve the public’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and social connection. All of these aspects contribute to the community’s health and wellbeing as a whole. The toolkit delves into how libraries can connect with community partners. It a necessity for libraries is to reach out to community partners for collaboration as this is how the ties of the community are strengthened. Senior centers, schools, community education, local businesses, and career resources are a few examples.

The Plfugerville Library collaborates with businesses in the area to put on a teen job fair. Photo courtesy of Austin American-Statesman.

The challenge I see when making changes to foster a space where communities feel safe is the hesitation to make change in spaces. The action of actually changing something and the mindset shift that comes with change are no small feats. We have to be comfortable with this discomfort. We should never do anything that makes the library staff unsafe seeing as the library must be a safe place for them as well; however, we must recognize the difference between being unsafe and feeling uncomfortable. When we switch around our furniture to make our space more accessible or put in the effort to make the connection with a community partner, it can be easy to get annoyed at doing extra work. However, we need to have shift to an empathetic mindset. Michael Stephens has the idea that we need to bring our hearts to work to ensure our service is rooted in humanism, compassion, and understanding as these are the things that make a community (Garcia-Febo, 2018). Taking the extra time to make and keep libraries safe is a necessity for the betterment and wellbeing of the community.

References

Garcia-Febo, L. (2018). Serving with love: Embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/11/01/serving-with-love/

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

State Library Victoria, Public Libraries Victoria. (2024). Libraries for Health and Wellbeing. https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/LFHAWB-vFIN-web_0.pdf

State Library Victoria, Public Libraries Victoria. (2024). Libraries for Health and Wellbeing Toolkit. https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/LFHAWB-PT-FIN-web.pdf

@lindsaymahowald

The first concept that resonated with me was during the module 3 lecture when I heard the words “hyperlinks are people too” (n.d., 37:24). Libraries were once a place for individual research, but they have evolved into a place of learning through collaboration, connection, and community. This idea began to blossom for me during module four when I was introduced to the idea of libraries as a necessary piece of social infrastructure. Social infrastructure is both the physical spaces and services that serve as the foundation for a community’s social health. Eric Klinenberg says that “when social infrastructure is robust, it fosters all kinds of social interactions, helps build relationships, and turns community from a vague, fuzzy concept into a lived experience” (2018). I think of the idea of libraries as social infrastructure as twofold. On the one hand, libraries are free and unbiased physical spaces where people can gain and share ideas. On the other, libraries should be collaborating with community partners to implement social programs that benefit library users.

Mesa County Libraries in Fruita, Colorado hosted a panel discussion with local activists to participate in dialogue and answer questions. Photo courtesy of Knology.

Libraries are a vital physical space for communities to collaborate and create. Though people still utilize the library as spaces for solitary research, they are more often viewed as community centers. Libraries are one of the only free spaces for people to gather (O’Brien, 2019). Free spaces are truly accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status. In addition to being free, they are unbiased. Many free spaces are part of organizations that have agendas; even if a user agrees with the agenda, they are often still biased. Libraries aim to create a space where people can come together to respectfully discuss different ideas and opinions. An obstacle that can stand in the way of libraries being an effective public space is the limitations of utilizing what is available. Building new rooms is not a cost efficient or plausible option for many libraries, to say nothing of the disruption that construction projects cause. What is the best way to utilize existing spaces to promote connections? Each library space and patron base is unique, so there is no one way to organize a space; perhaps though, there is a strategy or guidelines that each unique library can utilize.

Darien Library puts on an intergenerational program where they collaborate with the local senior center. Older adults read to young children. Photo by Claire Moore.

The services the library provides should be diverse and all encompassing of the patronage it serves. Through my MLIS career and current position as a library assistant, it has always been instilled in me to advocate for marginalized communities by ensuring they are served and represented. However, it is important to serve all other patron groups in the library as well. Libraries are social infrastructure that both serves and needs the participation of all community members from marginalized groups to the otherwise enfranchised (Mattern, 2014). This idea does face the challenge that libraries often have a limited amount of resources; therefore, they cannot put on programs and display materials that represent every single intersection of every single person. I believe the notion that hyperlinks are people can help with this. Instead of finding a material that represents the complexities of each identity, we can find materials that encompass the identities of as many folks as possible and emphasize our connections. We can provide programs for specific groups as well as intersectional programs that encourage community.

References

Klinenberg, E. (2018, Sepetember 11). How ‘Social Infracstructure’ Can Knit America Together. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-11/our-libraries-and-schools-are-vital-social-infrastructure

Mattern, S. (2014). Library as Infrastructure, Places Journal. https://doi.org/10.22269/140609

O’Brien, C. (2019, June 24). How San Fancisco’s public libraries nare embracing their changing role. Shareable. https://www.shareable.net/how-san-francisco-public-libraries-are-embracing-their-changing-role/

Stephens, M. (n.d.) “Historic” Hyperlinked Library Model [Video]. Panopto. https://sjsu-ischool.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=a0569381-4d66-4e0a-a7fa-aab3010a8f3e

@lindsaymahowald

Greetings all! My name is Lindsay and I am looking forward to learning and collaborating. I live in Minnesota and work as a Library Assistant in a public library branch outside of the Twin Cities. I have been in the MLIS program since Fall 2023 and I plan to graduate in Fall 2025. I have learned so much through the program, one of the biggest things being that I would like to go into academic librarianship. Being fully transparent, I took this class because I read the syllabus from previous semesters and the course description stuck with me. I am interested in the things that connect us as humans, so I thought this class would be up my alley!

I live with my partner John and our dog Franklin. In my free time I enjoy playing my Switch (currently playing Pokemon: Legends Arceus) and reading (my favorite author is Emily Austin, if you would enjoy sapphic literary fiction with a humorous tone I would highly recommend reading her works). I recently took up bird watching which I am enjoying. As if working, classes, and my current hobbies weren’t enough, I am also currently in a community theatre production of Hairspray that will go on stage in mid July.

I am looking forward to learning with you all!