{"id":12,"date":"2026-06-12T20:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T20:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/?p=12"},"modified":"2026-06-12T20:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T20:04:10","slug":"assignment-x-the-hyperlinked-library-and-considering-what-libraries-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/2026\/06\/12\/assignment-x-the-hyperlinked-library-and-considering-what-libraries-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Assignment X: The Hyperlinked Library and Considering What Libraries Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

The public library is a distinctly interesting space because (in my experience working in one), many patrons do not truly<\/em> know what its function is. That might seem like a far-fetched notion, but what I mean by that is not<\/em> that patrons do not know what libraries are, but that their expectations of them often skew toward one end of a diverse spectrum. The first side are the patrons who may be entering the library for the first time in many years and underestimate<\/em> the public library institution, resulting in questions I answer frequently at the circulation desk, such as: how much does it cost to get a library card, can I sit inside and read without being a \u201cmember,\u201d do I need to check in before entering the library, etc.? The patrons who ask these questions are often surprised when I tell them that access to public libraries is free, that they can sit anywhere they like and utilize whatever resources they need, including access to librarians, and that the library is a safe and open space for everyone to enjoy, again, yes, for free! Despite being saddened that patrons may have strayed from using the public library because they didn\u2019t realize they could access it for free, it also makes my day to welcome them in and explain all the resources available to them. The other side of my proposed library spectrum is patrons who view the institution as the resolution to any frustration or point of conflict. For example, one of my coworkers once had a patron request that they personally exterminate a peacock on their property, which had been waking them up early in the morning with its peacock sounds. I have also been asked directly whether the library allows \u201chomeless people\u201d inside because they don\u2019t want their children \u201cexposed\u201d to them when they visit.<\/p>\n

Both queries (peacock and reference to unhoused patrons) prove to me that many do not understand the function of the public library because they overestimate<\/em> or place added personal expectations\/ responsibilities on the library space. All of which is to say that, as explained in the Hyperlinked Library model, the library (especially, in my opinion, the public library) is not a static place and every patron who enters it does so with vastly different conceptions and queries. It is then the hyperlinked librarian that utilizes socio-technological resources towards the goal of disrupting and subverting traditional organizational structures that may inhibit the user experience in a variety of ways. While our institutional goals, informed by core ethics and values, remain steadfast, the methodology employed to meet them must evolve.<\/p>\n

I want to reflect on what that means to me personally as I begin to consider, as a burgeoning librarian, how I want to practice librarianship in my career. Recently, I have been inspired by TikTok, which is an insane sentence but hear me out! Over the past year or so, my page has been flooded with librarians around the world creating diverse, PLAYFUL content that appeals to a population that I think is underrepresented in libraries: teens and adults belonging to millennial and Gen Z age ranges. Again, speaking solely from my own personal experience, I have observed much library programming dedicated to either children or seniors, which is understandable when you consider that both of those groups are within transitional life phases that may require structural assistance via library patronage. However, there has been a huge recent surge in recreational readership among teens and adults that is largely influenced and informed by social media (BookTok, BookTube, Bookstagram, etc.), which I believe provides hyperlinked librarians with an opportunity to reach previously unavailable persons.<\/p>\n

It is my opinion that the reason there is such a divided understanding of the library\u2019s function is that cultural and mass media representation has made society view the library as a cold, one-dimensional space that may be perceived as exclusionary to certain people. Social media, for all its pros and cons, can help librarians change the narrative on what libraries are, what they do, and how they can serve all members within diverse communities.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stephens, M. (2016). The hyperlinked librarian: Skills, mind-sets, and ideas for working in the evolving library. In The heart of librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change<\/em> (pp. 1\u201334). ALA Editions.<\/p>\n

Stephens, M. (2011, February 21). The hyperlinked library: A TTW white paper<\/em>. Tame the Web. https:\/\/tametheweb.com\/2011\/02\/21\/hyperlinkedlibrary2011\/<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The public library is a distinctly interesting space because (in my experience working in one), many patrons do not truly know what its function is. That might seem like a far-fetched notion, but what I mean by that is not that patrons do not know what libraries are, but that their expectations of them often … Continue reading Assignment X: The Hyperlinked Library and Considering What Libraries Do<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":858,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/858"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions\/13"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theburgeoninglibrarian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}