Photo: Wi-Fi and charging station from Pioneer Library System
Every semester I have a moment where I just read or watched something for a class and afterwards I sit overcome in awe and emotion of just how amazing libraries are. How lucky we are to have these third spaces that we can enter at no cost. How incredible it is that things that can often be out of reach for members of our communities are accessible at no cost through the library. This semester, it was during this module that I had to take a moment because I was overcome by the beauty of what libraries can do for their communities.
Kanawha County Library Director Erika Connelly says that we are beyond the age of shushing in libraries, and we sure are (CBS Sunday Morning, 2022). As the needs of our communities change, so do some of the practices that libraries once held. And certainly, noise level has been a relaxed practice, just ask the senior patrons who often disapprove of the noisy atmosphere at the library where I work during after school hours. Change is inevitable, however, and libraries are changing to meet the needs of the majority of community members in order to get them to come through the doors in this fast and changing technological world.
With emerging technologies, we have seen a decline in physical book check outs in libraries (CBS Sunday Morning, 2022) as most of them now take place digitally. In order to bridge the gap between those digital users and lack of patrons visiting the library. more and more libraries are providing free access to things like 3D printers, podcast booths, recording studios, computerized sewing machines, and laptops to check out (CBS Sunday Morning, 2022). The library system that I work at itself has what is called a “library of things” collection which last year added hiking gear and Launchpad Tablets for parents to check out for children while in the library.
What is incredible to me, however, is that some library systems are extending this accessibility outside of the walls of their libraries. Furbee (2023) states that, “PLS (Pioneer Library System) is one of the growing number of libraries nationwide to install high-tech, solar-powered benches that offer more than just a place to rest; they also provide free Wi-Fi and charging stations.” How amazing is that? That people do not have to travel all the way to the library just to have Wi-Fi access or that travelers in need of Wi-Fi can stop at any of these locations for a quick stop. Or that those who are homeless can have access to these Wi-Fi and charging stations 24/7!
An article I also enjoyed reading was about ChatGPT. Papini (2023) declares, “we aren’t here making any decrees about whether ChatGPT is “good” or “bad.” Instead, we’re taking this opportunity to look at it through the lens of information literacy…the library is here to help you to learn and understand how these tools can be used and provide some guidance on when they should or should not be used according to our professional best practices.” I have my own thoughts about AI, and while I am wary of it, I do not believe that it is our place to tell someone that we think AI or any other form of technology is “good” or “bad.” Papini (2023) and the Krupp Library have a stance that I much prefer. It is better to educate people on how to use something and help them understand what are some good practices to follow when using it than to tell them if it is something that is either “good” or “bad.” That opinion should come down to the user. In many ways, I think libraries are here to broaden their community’s knowledge and one of those is ways is certainly to better equip them with the tools necessary to use these emerging technologies.
Libraries are amazing and innovative, embracing these changing tides as best as possible, and as we venture out into the future I am excited to see what lies beyond the horizon.
References
CBS Sunday Morning. (2022, July 24). Beyond books: The 21st century public library. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4QxDOCagxg&t=130s
Furbee, Bill. (2023, May 1). Sit and surf: High-tech benches bridge digital divide. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2023/05/01/sit-and-surf/
Papini, Allison. (2023, January 27). ChatGPT: A Library Perspective. Bryant University: Krupp Library. https://library.bryant.edu/chatgpt-library-perspective
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