Category: Reflections

Learning is about living an Expansive Life

We’ve got formal learning down. Books and courses, even online courses with or without live instructors are more numerous than ever. But in today’s fast-paced and attention-demanding world, many people don’t have the time to focus on learning one skill at a time. So learning needs to happen when and where the skills and knowledge are needed.

Attract

Attract patrons to your services and programs by providing collections and programs that appeal to them in settings that they like and enjoy.

Serve

Serve patrons what they need. That may be around health (meditation, yoga, tai chi), connection through discussion, breaks for parents, and play for patrons of all ages.

Everywhere

Be where they are. Available on mobile devices, programs out in community settings like senior homes, laundromats, parks, day care centers, etc.

For more direct learning and teaching, I really loved learning about the collaborative and open experiment spaces in DOKK1. Having real-time sharing and inspiration between two different locations creating something is brilliant and even 10 years later a great use of current technology. Finding foundational skills within evolving technology to focus on can build programs that last and can evolve with the times.

Photo by Amélie Mourichon on Unsplash

With how fast our world is changing, we may not be able to predict what skills we will need next. As libraries we need to remain flexible, focus on what our patrons need now, and not be overly attached to those services and programs. They may not be relevant at all in 6 months. For this, I really like the idea of rotating themes and flexibility.

Oak Park Public Library (OPPL) did a great version of this with their Idea Box. It’s interactive and evolving, and even behind that there are themes or seasons. Depending on the library, the program, or the space, it might be something that rotates on a monthly of quarterly basis. Maybe it’s a wall that invites people to share what they’ve learned on a topic recently and reply to one another. Maybe it asks them to share fond memories.

Photo by Annie Vo on Unsplash

All of this rests on understanding our communities and users well. Who are they? What do they value? Where do they spend their time and with who? What problems are they facing? Then we build services that aren’t perfectly packaged solutions, but containers for our communities to fill and decorate.

Living Books

Photo by Small Group Network on Unsplash

I absolutely love the concept of human books. @lauraskor shared in this post about holding conversations in the library through the use of book clubs and I think this idea exists in the same vein. Cultivating community is more than just having a space that many people inhabit at the same time. Conversation, especially about issues that directly effect us and our communities is vital to growing strong connections. It is also vital to growing communities that care.

I think these are programs that should be considered together. The Human Book concept is a great way to spark conversations around different topics, centered around real people within our communities. These events can be paired with tabling from organizations that support vulnerable groups in our community. Those conversations can then be continued on through things like book clubs, or discussions about upcoming elections or propositions. There is no set order to these things and every community will have unique needs and desires, but when I think about libraries helping to build community, I believe this is the work that must be done. (I also enjoyed hearing from Kylie and Felicity and I believe that librarians and library staff must be included in this on both ends! As people sharing their stories and as people hearing them.)

Photo by Small Group Network on Unsplash

This module really made me think about how libraries exist to address universal human needs like connection, belonging, and meaning or fulfillment. Programs like these help communities meet these needs. But although the needs themselves may be universal, how those needs get met will be specific to individuals and communities. Like Michael Casey shared when he came to talk to our class, some ideas may not work for all communities. It’s important to try things and learn from them to find what works best for the specific population we are serving.

As a side note about the Human Books concept: I went onto the Human Library Organisation website and was surprised to find that in their model, they not only do not pay “human books,” they strongly discourage it, stating that they “do not believe readers will have the same confidence in the library if books were paid to be there.” (Human Library FAQ) I find this troubling considering that a primary goal for this practice is to help inform people about the lives and experiences of people who are stigmatized. Which means we are talking about marginalized people doing free labor to educate people. I think it would be far more appropriate to –when possible– offer people sharing their stories small honorariums like might be offered to speakers or research volunteers.

The Incomplete Library Model

The concept of “library” has been steadily transforming from a place of knowledge access to a place of knowledge application. Where we once lived in a world where information was scarce and difficult to distribute, we now live in a world of overabundance. Most people consume information constantly through their smartphones and other devices, let alone what they consume at school or at work. Consumption of information is easier than ever, but access to information alone does not lead directly to good outcomes.

In my personal experience, the bombardment of information in short-form videos like Instagram Reels or TikTok leads to minimal retention of information – even if I found it very interesting or even useful in the moment – and a huge resistance to moving from consuming to doing. More information does not automatically lead to action. In many cases I believe it leads to paralysis.

This is why I believe this shift that libraries are undergoing from spaces that contain information to spaces of creation and interaction is exactly what everyone needs.

Here I’m mostly talking about library spaces rather than services, although the same shift can be observed of services. Library services still include an abundance of access points including physical and digital books, magazines, and other media; but they also include experiences: tickets to local museums or access to recorded performances.

In her TEDx Talk from 2013, Pam Sandlian Smith quotes John Cotton Dana who said, “the purpose of the public library is the pursuit of happiness first, and education second.” This quote really stuck with me, because I believe that even on a practical level, learning and contributing to our communities is far easier when we experience a sense of safety and belonging, and having fun and amusement and opportunities for connection are what create that. I think its time we as a culture move past this idea that human beings are naturally ‘lazy’ and won’t work unless they are threatened. We know that when we our needs are met and we have time and resources, we love to create and share. We saw plenty of that during the first year or two of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo by Jasmin Schreiber on Unsplash

What libraries need to be first and foremost are spaces that community members feel comfortable stepping into and playing with. Libraries should be malleable and lived in, not pristine and untouchable. A little mess and flexibility opens up possibilities and opportunities for creativity. A sense of incompleteness invites others to contribute.

Perhaps for services the same is true, that what we need aren’t answers but questions and a willingness to discuss.

Photo by Zainul Yasni on Unsplash

Resources

What to expect from libraries in the 21st century: Pam Sandlian Smith at TEDxMileHigh https://youtu.be/fa6ERdxyYdo

The Hyperlinked Library: New Models Lecture 2025 by Michael Stephens

Mobile Access and Accessibility

Immediate Access vs. Building Future Accessibility

Watson’s 2023 article “Libraries on Call: Smartphone lending program bridges technology gaps” is a great example of providing immediate material access which improves people’s lives. However there is another side I don’t want us to lose sight of.

Immediate Access

This approach:

  • is often technology-based,
  • uses individual devices to bridge access gaps,
  • has a cost per device and per person served,
  • often puts the onus on the individual or community organizations to bridge the gap,
  • is often not scalable,
  • circumvents barriers but does not remove them, and
  • may create temporary access and dependency on the short-term solution.

Examples may include: translation devices/apps, recording devices and voice-to-text, and my favorite example of this phenomenon: specialized powered wheelchairs that can climb steps.

Future Accessibility

This approach:

  • is often infrastructure based;
  • looks at long-term and universal access;
  • incurs a large but often one-time cost;
  • may face a lot of push-back due to the scale of change needed;
  • does not ask individuals and communities that are facing barriers to dissolve or overcome the barriers themselves; and
  • results in spaces that are inherently more accessible and therefore require no additional resources to access.

Examples may include: retrofitting buildings, building new structures, redesigning processes, and just creating new systems from the ground up.

Providing immediate access to some while building more universal and permanent access is important and necessary. Building permanent access may even grow out of some of those temporary solutions into long-term solutions. What’s important here is that effort is being made to provide both immediate and permanent access.

Understanding and Transferable Skills for Future Access

Mobile devices and user interfaces in particular (including mobile apps) tend to have a much lower barrier to entry in terms of both cost and computing know-how. They are highly-accessible devices for people from a variety of backgrounds, ages, education levels, and ability. However, the other side of this coin is that they also tend to obscure and make harder to see or understand the basics of computing.

We have seen that younger generations who have grown up using cloud storage and mobile apps do not have basic understanding of file structures and directories. They rely on search. And with generative “AI” now entering the scene, this is getting only worse.

While these mobile devices being accessible is great for the short-term and can help connect people to information and resources quickly, the devices themselves do not help users build skills around computing, accessing information, or other digital skills that could be useful to them in their lives. As long as these devices and the software they carry hide the complexity behind a simple UI, users will have to learn another way. But will they choose to when the easier option is within reach?

Photo by Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash

Resources

Trust. Be Curious. Transform. And Don’t Do it Alone

In some of the stories Michael has shared it’s apparent that some libraries and staff still struggle with viewing users almost as adversaries or challenges. When we find ourselves asking something like ‘how do we protect the library from users?’ that signifies a fundamentally flawed relationship to our user-base. To break out of that way of thinking we have to (1) understand what it means for the library to belong to its users, and (2) respond with curiosity and compassion.

At least some of the pressure libraries feel comes from trying to do everything, all at once, and trying to do it alone. We live in a society where we view abundance as coming from the top of the social-economic hierarchy and flowing downward. Large companies “create jobs and opportunities” for workers, billionaires engage in philanthropy, charities provide for the ‘needy’. Therefore we see the library as a provider and therefore — unfortunately — as being above our most vulnerable users. Then we run into issues with trying to pour from an empty cup. That view is false. Workers create value for companies through their labor and it’s the people on the ground that make the biggest difference. Value flows UP in our society regardless of what the CEOs and billionaires say, which means the abundance actually lies at the bottom.

When we see our users and our community as allies and partners we open up new possibilities for both our users and for the library itself. Instead of trying to be every solution, be the vehicle for the solutions the community has to offer. Ask people what they need, what would make their lives better. Then ask people what solutions they have for the issues their community faces. Bring services to them where they are. Make it easier for them to come to you. Ask them for help and partner with groups in the community to expand services. The library doesn’t have to do it all or be the only answer, but it plays an important role in making these things happen.

I was really moved by the Wash & Learn program because not only was it bringing library services and supports to people when it would be convenient for them, it was also run by young volunteers who no doubt gained skills and insights about what their community needs. Libraries belong to users, so they should be tools that help users and communities help themselves.

Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash

I think part of the solution displayed here is thinking about users as more than library users. They are also teachers, parents, singers, hosts, designers, and so much more. They are also drivers, eaters, shoppers, and just people who need to do laundry so they have clean clothes to wear next week.

For my own work, I was really excited to learn about Commons in a Box created by CUNY. It is exactly the kind of tool that I’ve been looking for or thinking about building to help communities connect and create together. I have two projects where I would like to try to implement this and I am so excited to learn more about how to create and support communities through platforms like this through experimentation.

Foundations of the Hyperlinked Library – Readings

I find it useful to summarize my takeaways from readings, so I’ve decided to post my summaries here to share, and I invite you to share with me some of your reflections from our readings as well.

Buckland, M. (1999). Redesigning Library Services: A Manifesto.

Libraries have been built around objects that contain knowledge. Technology changes what is possible. Instead of only asking how we can do things better, we should also be asking what else is possible? That way we seek not only to modify but to evolve.

Casey, M. E., & Savastinuk, L. C. (2007). Library 2.0: A guide to participatory library service. Medford, N.J: Information Today.

Library 2.0 is about embracing the reality that is constant change, and engaging in intentional and purposeful change through collaboration and participation with everyone involved (vertically and horizontally), and through constant re-evaluation and further change. Nothing is sacred, anything can be evaluated and changed if it no longer serves the community.

Mathews, B. (2012). Think Like A Start Up.

Libraries must focus on their users and not on information or services. It’s not about how we can make a service or collection better, it’s how we can serve our users, our community, and their goals better. We have to think bigger and more long-term. We have to be willing to break away from everything we know. For that, it’s not enough to want to change, we also have to be prepared for change on a cultural and structural level. That means being built for experimentation and iteration. Try things, learn, adapt, try again. Try many things all at once. Don’t get attached. Start with the smallest version of an idea and test it in the field. What works somewhere else may not work here. Understand your own library and build for it.

Stephens, M. (2016). Chapter 1: “The Hyperlinked Librarian: Skills, Mind-Sets, and Ideas for Working in the Evolving Library” in The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

“Above all, librarians entering the hyperlinked arena must be curious and creative.”

We must be prepared to rethink everything about what a library is, to play with new ideas, to rebuild from the ground up, and problem-solve across issues, departments, and disciplines. We cannot resist this reality: that everything is connected.

Stephens, M. (2019). Chapter 1: “Past Is Prologue” in Wholehearted Librarianship: Finding Hope, Inspiration, and Balance

Libraries must become the resource people turn to automatically, must be present and accessible, but they must also be human and not another faceless resource. The Web has made accessing knowledge from people instead of “authorities” easier than ever. Libraries are in the perfect position to be familiar and trusted curators of the non-stop flow of information that overwhelms our users and communities everyday. We must build structures and shapes and environments where people can interact with information critically so that our users can be agents and knowledge workers too, not just consumers of information.

 

Welcome and Hello

Welcome to The Linked Knode! 

My name is Yadir. I am a disability advocate and information nerd.

I’ve been thinking about the ways groups and communities create and use knowledge for several years. “Knode” is a word I coined and use on my personal digital garden site at https://yknode.link. Here is the definition I use for it:

knode noun  (knowledge + node)
A point of intersection and perspective containing a unique collection of information, wisdom, and connections.

For work I support people with developmental disabilities in California advocate for themselves and coordinate support services that are personalized, rooted in community, and effective at meeting their needs. The Medicaid program that I work within is complex — has rules at the federal, state, and regional levels that need to be navigated –, involves many different players, and is constantly changing. It is my dream to create a centralized community platform to house and exchange information about the program, what people in the community are experiencing, successes and obstacles, and solutions. I imagine this might look like the combination of a forum and wiki.

Creating this living information hub and others like it is the kind of work I want to do. I can see myself doing this work directly in community settings and with community organizations, or through public libraries. I’m also really interested in growing my skills in organizing information to be most easily accessible, digestible, and useful to the people who use it.

Central to how I see my work as an informational professional are principles of:

    • participation
    • collective knowledge
    • stewardship
    • community empowerment

I want communities to participate in the creation and stewardship of knowledge, and to feel empowered to make use of the knowledge that already exists in their communities to solve problems.

I have been looking forward to taking the Hyperlinked Library course since I first applied to the SJSU MLIS program because I think it aligns so well with my values and goals. I am looking forward to getting to know and learn from all my fellow students.

In my free time, I love to read, watch, play, and listen to fiction — particularly sci-fi and fantasy. I recently enjoyed the latest novella in The Murderbot Diaries series, Platform Decay by Martha Wells; and the second novel in The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty. I also really enjoy Japanese manga and anime Haikyuu!! and Dr. Stone are two of my all-time favorites. I’m currently playing Sea of Stars on Playstation 4 and loving it, it’s got a retro feel and full of so much heart. And last but not least, I love listening to the Friends at the Table podcast, they tell such incredible, powerful stories.

I can’t help but think a lot about how we work with information and how we might be able to work with information in the future when I am listening to The Murderbot Diaries.