Through numerous partnerships, the Nashville Public Library was able to bring the Civil Rights Room to life. (Berry III, 2017).
This week’s module on hyperlinked communities did a great job showcasing the humanistic aspects of Library 2.0. Rather than just being a place to go to or a format to use, library professionals should work to embed libraries within the very communities they serve. By becoming “facilitators of dialogue, creators of inclusive spaces, and active participants in the lives of those we serve,” libraries can transform their communities from static to “dynamic, inclusive, and deeply connected” (Garcia-Febo, 2018; Stephens, 2016, 2019, 2025). To this author, hyperlinked communities serve as a descendant of information communities, if viewed from a hierarchical perspective. Information communities are defined as “constituencies united by a common interest in building and increasing access to a set of dynamic, linked, and varying information resources” with five characteristics, including “emphasis on collaboration among diverse information providers,” “capacity to form around people’s needs to access and use information,” “capacity to exploit the information-sharing qualities of emerging technologies,” “ability to transcend barriers to information sharing,” and “capacity to foster social connectedness” (Fisher & Fulton, 2022, p. 43). What separates these two types of communities is that hyperlinked communities place a greater focus on users utilizing Web 2.0, and there is less emphasis on constituencies needing to share a common interest (Stephens, 2019). Because of this emphasis on users utilizing the Internet, libraries must ensure that they are training their users on the basics of computer and phone use. More than just basic computer training, however, library professionals must also be prepared to advocate the benefits of getting online to reluctant adults, as a vast majority of offline adults have no interest in getting online (Boyd, 2016; West, 2014).
An excellent example of a library fostering meaningful community connections is the North Carolina State University’s James B. Hunt Jr. Library. By collaborating with Digital Library Initiatives, External Relations, the Special Collections Research Center, and the Hunt Opening and Dedication Committee, the library created an activity that allows patrons to document their library experience on Instagram using the Ruby on Rails application #HuntLibrary (NC State University Libraries, 2024). Going further than just simple tagging, however, the application allows contributors to be a part of the library’s history, as users can vote on which images they want to see permanently added to the digital collection (NC State Libraries, 2024). Some libraries have even showcased hyperlinked initiatives during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when the building was closed by extending their Wi-Fi range, placing Wi-Fi nodes out in the community for free access, or transforming the bookmobile into a mobile Wi-Fi transmitter (Williams & Muller, 2021). Making the Internet accessible to the public outside the library was a groundbreaking initiative that enabled users to apply for jobs, obtain housing, pursue degrees, connect with family and friends, and access local resources at a time when physical library buildings were closed.
Regarding in-person hyperlinked initiatives, the Nashville Public Library (NPL) created a Civil Rights Room in the library where conversations about Nashville’s role in the Civil Rights Movement are held (Dixon, 2017). Using well-trained library staff to facilitate the conversations, each individual community member has the opportunity to share their unique perspectives on not only historical Civil Rights issues but also contemporary issues related to Civil Rights. Showcasing their hyperlink skills, the NPL was able to partner with “poets, authors, and those who participated in the Freedom Rides” to assist in facilitating conversations (Dixon, 2017). As this blog post is about hyperlinked communities, this author does not want to stray too far from the scope, but he could not help but notice how the community conversations in the Civil Rights Room also serve as an excellent opportunity for the community and library staff to increase their cultural intelligence (CQ) and cultural competencies. Librarians at the Richland Library in South Carolina created a task force that hosted similar conversations regarding challenging topics (Dixon, 2017). One of these challenging topics included the trial of Dylann Roof, the perpetrator of the 2015 Charleston church shooting, which resulted in the deaths of nine African Americans. Both the NPL and the Richland Library demonstrated how a library can successfully transform its community into a hyperlinked one, as well as engage in local or national issues.
References
Berry III, J. N. (2017, June 6). 2017 Gale/LJ library of the year: Nashville Public Library, TN. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/2017-galelj-library-of-the-year-nashville-public-library-tn
Boyd, D. (2016, January 25). What world are we building? Medium. https://medium.com/datasociety-points/what-world-are-we-building-9978495dd9ad
Dixon, J. A. (2017). Convening community conversations. Library Journal, 142(17), 41. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CONVENING_COMMUNITY_CONVERSATI.pdf
Fisher, K. E., & Fulton, C. (2022). Information communities. In S. Hirsh (Ed.), Information services today: An introduction (3rd ed., pp. 41-52). Rowman & Littlefield.
Garcia-Febo, L. (2018, November 1). Serving with love: Embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/11/01/serving-with-love/
NC State University Libraries. (2024, October 17). My #huntlibrary. https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/projects/my-huntlibrary
Stephens, M. T. (2016). The heart of librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change (1st ed.). ALA Editions.
Stephens, M. T. (2019). Wholehearted librarianship: Finding hope, inspiration, and balance (1st ed.). ALA Editions.
Stephens, M. T. (2025). Module 5: Hyperlinked communities [Module overview]. INFO 287 – The Hyperlinked Library. https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/module-5-hyperlinked-communities/
West, J. (2014). 21st century digital divide. Librarian.net. https://www.librarian.net/talks/rlc14/
Williams, A., & Muller, C. (2021, March 17). Libraries are bridging the digital divide. Internet Society. https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2021/03/libraries-are-bridging-the-digital-divide/
@bderekthompson I really appreciate that you highlighted what Richland and Nashville are doing with convening conversations and opportunities to engage around civil rights and related topics. It’s interesting to think that one of our roles going forward may be facilitating conversations between all sorts of folks.