Will “hygge” guide our services and interactions? Scandinavian countries have introduced libraries to some wonderful things in the past few years. Nordic Noir fiction, some beautiful new buildings to gather inspiration from, and perhaps the most interesting of all: the concept of hygge. Pronounced “hoo-ga,” it loosely translates from the Danish as “coziness,” but bloggers, news reporters, and folks sharing #hygge-tagged images are quick to say it is so much more. Some might argue that it’s a feeling, a vibe, a state of mind. Others say it’s about connections, conversations, and comfort. This definition shared on an Instagram post by […]
Yearly Archives: 2017
48 posts
A MODEL LIBRARY “We designed our libraries for people, not books,” Østergård said. The collection remained the same size, about 325,000 items, but the new space is much larger. It’s based on the Four Space model developed by Danish Royal School of Library and Information Science professors: inspiration space, learning space, meeting space, and performative space that overlap and intersect. Action words for each sector of the model: Excite. Explore. Create. Participate. Do a deep dive into The Model Programme for Public Libraries and you’ll see intriguing and thought-provoking results in Denmark and beyond. Libraries become the center of urban […]
This column explores my three years working on the IMLS-funded Institute for Research Design in Librarianship. Since 2014, academic librarians from across the United States have gathered at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles to be part of an immersive learning experience—the Institute for Research Design in Librarianship (IRDL). My colleague from the School of Information, Dr. Lili Luo, and Greg Guest, a cultural anthropologist working in Durham, NC, designed the research skills–focused curriculum and served as lead instructors for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)–funded program. For nine days in the summer the selected participants, IRDL […]
This column explores the future of LIS education as part of Library Journal’s 40th Anniversary celebration. LIS programs have moved online quickly since my own program went 100 percent online in 2009 with varying degrees of success, some relying on “read and respond” pedagogy while others embrace new technologies. (See The Transparent Library School and Our Common Purpose.) A couple of decades from now, online graduate education may mean something different than a web-based learning management system. Logging in might involve a version of virtual reality that replicates the “face-to-face” classroom so closely the technology involved falls away. Class experience, […]
Dozer, Cooper, Compassion & Empathy: A common punch line in the librarian oeuvre pertains to the number of cats a particular librarian may own. We all know that librarians are dog people, too, as evidenced by the multiple Facebook photos I see of various canine biblio-companions. I am sure librarians also keep various other mammals, reptiles, and birds, but there is a natural fit between our love of four-legged friends and our calling to the profession. Here is a video about Dozer from Silver Muzzle Cottage
This “Office Hours” column suggests some interview questions we might incorporate into interviews. This column was prompted by an email from Kit Stephenson, head of reference and adult services at Bozeman Public Library, MT: “I am trying to find the best questions to find a full-stack employee. A couple of attributes I require are compassion, team player, and thrives on change. I want someone to be a conduit, connector, and a discoverer.” Please consider the following as part of your potential discovery sets for future interviews. How do you keep learning? Describe your personal learning network (PLN). This gets to the […]
An exploration of the Open+ system at Gwinnett County Public Library and a broader view of staff communication and buy in: What if something were to happen? Have you encountered this issue as you plan to roll out a new service or a big change to existing services? Maybe it’s prompted a sign or two to go up in the library, such as a book cart I recently saw at a library out east, emblazoned with a STAFF ONLY notice. Did that begin with the thought that “someone might take that book cart for a joy ride…”? I recorded a […]
This “Office Hours” column explores how we can approach emerging and already here technology as an early adopter or and adapter. Be open to tech innovations and change. You don’t have to accept every “next big thing” but at least be aware of it. Did you just hear about beacon technology? Follow up with a web search to see how libraries are using it. Seeing the practical use of an emerging tech might balance out the initial wow factor to put it in its proper place as part of a toolkit of options. Just hearing about QR codes? Feel free […]
How can we welcome everyone into our spaces during these times? Could you partner with a local restaurant or more for a soup night of your own at the library? For those libraries with a community kitchen or access to one, inviting people in to participate in cooking or serving one another or cleaning up, all while commiserating, might help to create some connectedness. Perhaps pair the event with a Human Library program, in which patrons can “check out” a person of a different race, a different religion, different political beliefs, or different sexual orientation for a brief discussion in […]
This column explores balancing technology with services and people. Services to the vulnerable and technology offerings are not polar opposites. Librarians have to stop seeing it that way. These are all points on a continuum, and without technological skills, some folks will fall right back into the world out of which they’re desperately trying to pull themselves. Technology is not some future we have the option of ignoring—it is the present. It’s the world in which we live. There will always be people who need to be directed to housing resources, but those are not the majority of our users. […]