{"id":87,"date":"2026-10-11T19:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T19:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/?p=87"},"modified":"2026-10-11T19:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T19:01:11","slug":"reflection-on-hyperlinked-communities-a-lonely-girls-guide-to-the-library","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/2026\/10\/11\/reflection-on-hyperlinked-communities-a-lonely-girls-guide-to-the-library\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflection on Hyperlinked Communities: A Lonely Girl’s Guide to the Library"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Credit: CDD20 at https:\/\/pixabay.com\/illustrations\/man-emptiness-soul-flowers-4052354\/ <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A topic that resonated with me in the Hyperlinked Communities module was the topic of mental health, particularly loneliness. The article, <\/span>\u201cHungry for Connection: Addressing Loneliness Through the Library,\u201d <\/span><\/a><\/span>discusses a type of relationship called \u201cweak ties\u201d and how libraries help foster them (Rich, 2024). These are the relationships we form outside of our close circle of friends and family that are more casual in nature (Rich, 2024). Rich (2024) states that, \u201cthese social connections [weak ties] help shape a feeling of belonging that one needs to combat feelings of loneliness\u201d (para. 8).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I wanted to create a guide of steps people can take to meet people through the libraries. The steps are general enough that they can be applied to any local library. I listed them in order of what I consider \u201ceasiest\u201d to \u201chardest\u201d from the perspective of an introvert (me). I used my local library system, Hennepin County Library, as an example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Do your routine activities at the library, not at home: <\/b>Do you read, study, watch Netflix, or do a hobby, alone in your home? Why not do it at the library? Although you may not be directly interacting with people, it can be nice to be around others.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Credit: Saydung at https:\/\/pixabay.com\/illustrations\/woman-writing-table-work-books-5835747\/ <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Attend an online event:\u00a0<\/b>Dip your toes into meeting new people by attending an online event. For some people, Zoom interactions can feel less daunting than face-to-face meetings (for others it may be the opposite). An added benefit is that barriers to access related to transportation are removed. Find an event that interests you and try it out. Hennepin County Library has an <\/span>\u201cEvents\u201d webpage<\/span><\/a><\/span>, where under \u201cLocation\u201d it allows you to filter by \u201cOnline events\u201d (Hennepin County Library, n.d.-a).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Attend an in person event: <\/b>The next step could be to attend an event in person. Look at your local library’s calendar for upcoming events. If you want to meet people, pick an event that is more social, not just a presentation. A recurring event may be a good idea (ex: book club) since you may see some of the same people each week which will help foster stronger connections. The article, <\/span>\u201c\u2018Free, non-judgemental, accessible\u2019: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and wellness\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/span> mentions an individual named Kerri who participated in Melbourne City Library\u2019s \u201cConversation Club\u201d where frequent participation helped her stave off loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic (Hasan, 2023).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Volunteer:\u00a0<\/b>This one is more of a commitment than the other three ideas. However, when you help others in your community, it can help create a sense of purpose. The Hennepin County Library has a <\/span>\u201cVolunteer\u201d webpage<\/span><\/a><\/span> that explains what types of positions are available and how to apply (Hennepin County Library, n.d.-b).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Credit: GDJ at https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/books-heart-love-read-passion-5361667\/<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I hope these tips are useful. Let me know if you have tried or will try any of them out!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

References\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Rich, H. (2024, February 5). <\/span>Hungry for connection: Addressing loneliness through the library<\/span><\/i>. Library Journal. <\/span>https:\/\/www.libraryjournal.com\/story\/news\/hungry-for-connection-addressing-loneliness-through-the-library<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hasan, T.N. (2023, June 27). <\/span>\u2018Free, non-judgemental, accessible\u2019: How your local library is a sanctuary of health and wellness.<\/span><\/i> SBS Bangla. <\/span>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<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hennepin County Library. (n.d.-a). <\/span>Events<\/span><\/i> [Webpage]. <\/span>https:\/\/hclib.bibliocommons.com\/v2\/events?_gl=1*tlohbv*_ga*MTQxNjYwODM2NS4xNzg1Njg1NzEw*_ga_HJ2JEWCJY3*czE3OTE2NTk5NDUkbzkkZzEkdDE3OTE2NjAyNzIkajU5JGwwJGgw<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hennepin County Library. (n.d.-b). <\/span>Volunteer <\/span><\/i>[Webpage]. <\/span>https:\/\/www.hclib.org\/about\/volunteer<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A topic that resonated with me in the Hyperlinked Communities module was the topic of mental health, particularly loneliness. The article, \u201cHungry for Connection: Addressing Loneliness Through the Library,\u201d discusses a type of relationship called \u201cweak ties\u201d and how libraries help foster them (Rich, 2024). These are the relationships we form outside of our close … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Reflection on Hyperlinked Communities: A Lonely Girl’s Guide to the Library”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":897,"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-87","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/897"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions\/94"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/theconnectedcorner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}