INFO 287 – The Hyperlinked Library

Support & Encouragement

Michael Stephens — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 21:22:39 +0000

Hey all, @innerchildlibrarian commented on our Fluid Dates post with this: “I am a week behind on assignments. Would any peers like to encourage each other, give updates over text, possibly virtually cowork? DM me.”

I thought this would be a good thing to amplify and see if other students might want to offer encouragement and updates about their own work. Please feel free to message, etc. Users need to be “friends” on our site to DM each other. You could also make a group on our site here under the groups feature uh for this type of support and encouragement. I’m open to whatever you would like to do and I really appreciate @innerchildlibrarian mentioning this.

Hyperlinked Job Description – “You have Curiosity…focused energy…”

Michael Stephens — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 07:15:36 +0000

Hey all – this job was posted at Denver Public Library a few years ago. The description is gone but it was very interesting.

Here’s a BIG snippet I saved (bolding is mine):

What You’ll Do: Work downtown at the Central Library as a key member of a team that fosters a culture of innovation and inquiry with a specific role to support activities related to the Library’s customer-focused strategic initiatives. Assist executive team with development of a strategic initiative lifecycle. In collaboration with initiative team leaders, guide staff teams with an inspirational vision that encourages creativity, innovation and best practices. Coordinate the efforts of multiple teams from idea generation, prototyping, experimentation, evaluation through implementation. Help develop practices to encourage and support innovation among initiative teams but also throughout the organization. Facilitate design thinking and other workshops, bringing staff together to spark creative synergies and learn from each other. Challenge teams to think critically. Serve as a bridge between teams and help foster collaboration across the system. Help teams with project management, manage timelines, track and analyze resources and capacity. Assist teams to obtain resources, develop and evaluate experiments, negotiate conflicts, measure and replicate success, learn from failures, analyze and communicate results, and ultimately operationalize services or resources. Develop and sustain strong relationships with staff from all library divisions.

You Have: Curiosity. Focused energy. A sincere desire to improve our community. Enthusiasm for risk taking and learning from failure. Passion for developing relationships. Interest in developing a new role and program. Demonstrated skill in leading and guiding individuals and teams and creating a culture of trust and collaboration. Demonstrated skill in creative problem solving, adaptive thinking and making connections. Ability to facilitate small and large groups. Understanding of or demonstrated interest in and willingness to learn design thinking, prototyping and innovation principles and practices. Demonstrated interest in business and cultural trends. Experience with successful evaluation, measurement and accountability practices. Experience with project implementation. Experience with coordinating and managing projects and resources. Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple projects simultaneously. Ability to bring a positive energy, excellent interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity and a sense of humor to the workplace. Ability to communicate effectively with all organizational levels, both verbally and in writing. Ability to multi-task, prioritize and work independently. Ability to pass a background check after the offer to hire has been made.

There’s so much here that reminds me of the conversations we’ve had about skills, approaches to organizational change, and what librarianship means in today.

Image: ChatGPT image generated from full text of this post. It said: “Here’s the new graphic: a polished editorial illustration showing library staff using design thinking, collaboration, prototyping, and experimentation to develop community-focused services.”

Welcome to Module 10: The Power of Stories

Michael Stephens — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:07:05 +0000

Greetings all! This week we turn our attention to STORIES! This is one of my favorites.

Stories and storytelling can have a strong impact. Stories are powerful. Please explore! Inspired by this week’s module? There is a Power of Stories option for the Inspiration Report.

Action Items:

Be sure to check your blog for pending comments. Dashboard –> Comments. You may see some that need approval. Let’s keep the conversations flowing!

FLUID DUE DATES are in effect. Use the original due dates as a guideline, but take the time you need to create meaningful and enjoyable work. Everything just needs to be completed by the last day of class. Please stay close to the reflection blogging dates, as this allows your classmates to read and respond to your work in a timely manner, fostering a richer discussion. Keeping up with those will help create a better exchange of ideas. Be sure to explore each assignment page and let me know if you have questions.

Reflection Blogging Due Dates

Reflection on Hyperlinked Communities: Due 10/4
Reflection on Hyperlinked Environments: Due 10/11
Reflection on New Models or New Horizons: Due 10/25
Reflection on The Power of Stories or WILD CARD*: Due 11/08
Reflection on Infinite Learning Modules: Due 11/15

*Wild Card Blog Choice: revisit any past module or choose your own related topic!

Major Assignment Due Dates:

Assignment X: Due 9/13
Innovation Strategy & Roadmap: Due 10/18
Inspiration Report: Due 11/22
Virtual Symposium: Due anytime during week beginning 11/30

Course Grading

Grading will be based on 100 possible points.

Assignments are due on dates specified above and must be turned in by 11:59 PM PT.
Late submissions will be reduced by 20% of the total points possible for that assignment.
If life circumstances require students to request an extension, please do so several days before the assignment is due or as soon as possible.
Communication and interaction throughout the semester via the course site is expected and required.

Inspiration: We Built a YouTube Studio and Social Media Lab in 7 Days!

Michael Stephens — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 07:13:53 +0000

I appreciate all the details Dr. Hale shares about the space. And the lighting is fun!

(Update – Dr. Hale has since moved into the UX research sector.)

Checking In & Sharing

Michael Stephens — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:21:55 +0000

Dear Hyperlinked Library Class,

I wanted to take a moment to reach out and share some thoughts. Recent national and international events have weighed heavily, and I imagine they may have slowed some of you down as well. Please know that I completely understand and empathize if you’ve felt similarly.

During challenging times, supporting each other and fostering kindness can make all the difference. Let’s continue to lift each other up and spread positivity wherever we can. I appreciate the incredible energy and ideas you have brought to this class, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside you.

Take care of yourselves, and please reach out if there’s anything you need as you work on our class.

Image: Your professor kilted up! This was during my trip. I saw a kilt maker who has made a few kilts for me in recent years while in Edinburgh, and I got to try on my most recent one, which should be shipped to me very soon. I have found a lot of distraction, support, and enjoyment in the kilt information communities on FB and Reddit these days.

Inspiration: Nervous About Asking…

Michael Stephens — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:02:02 +0000

One thought about this: if we used more user focused shelving systems, would it be easier for folks to find things they don’t want to ask for? This is making … Continue reading

Submitting Your Assignments: Please Use Your Blog!

Michael Stephens — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:55:26 +0000

Hey everyone,

A quick reminder that all assignments should be posted on your blog, with the blog post URL submitted in Canvas. This ensures that everyone in class can view, engage with, and learn from each other’s work.

How to Submit Your Assignments

1. Create a blog post for your assignment.

2. Introduce your work with a few sentences or a short introduction. Feel free to be creative!

3. If your project includes media artifacts (e.g., Canva designs, videos, infographics), embed or link them within your blog post.

• Due to university security settings, not all embeds will work as expected. If you encounter issues, provide a direct link to the media so others can access it.

• For large files (e.g., videos, high-resolution images, complex presentations), cloud storage options like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive are great alternatives—just make sure the link is set to allow access.

4. Submit the URL of your blog post in Canvas.

This applies to all assignments, including Assignment X, Innovation Strategy & Roadmap, Inspiration Report, Symposium. Note: After your five blog posts are done you submit your blog URL for the reflection blogging assignment.

Let me know if you have any questions—looking forward to reading your posts!

Image: Edinburgh sunset.

Fluid Dates but….

Michael Stephens — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:41:32 +0000

Hey all –

Just a friendly reminder that fluid due dates are in effect, but we’re getting closer to the end of the term. Once we hit November, things move quickly.

This includes your major assignments and all of your blog assignments. If you’ve been pacing yourself and working steadily, that’s fantastic—keep it up! If you’re feeling behind or unsure about where to start, take a deep breath, prioritize, and dive in.

If you have questions, concerns, or need clarification on anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Image: out and about with the boys

Inspiration: Collection as Waterfall – National Museum of Scotland

Michael Stephens — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:15:02 +0000

Hello all – I took a video for our class at the National Museum of Scotland last year. I checked in and the waterfall is still highlighting the museum’s collection in the technology room.

In one of the large galleries, the museum has an installation of monitors and surface table type screens. The collection – in the form of digital entries – cascades down the “waterfall” and into the surface screens. You can select one by touch to learn more. The featured image is of the musuems’s iPhone 3G from 2011!

Michael Casey Recording

Michael Stephens — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 07:12:27 +0000

Thanks to everyone who attended the chat yesterday afternoon. The recording is available on our Canvas site from page.

Michael recorded the meeting on his side with Granola. Here is the summary:

Director Engagement and Leadership Disconnect

Directors losing touch with customers and staff: a recurring pattern among long-tenured regional directors.
Recent example: a director was fired after demanding a reserved back-door parking spot and refusing 360-style staff input into board evaluations.
Gwinnett’s approach to staying connected:
- Director visits branches regularly.
- Leadership team meetings rotate across all 15 branches.
- Each branch gets at least three leadership visits per year.
Michael Stephens’ old “Director Parking Only” slide resurfaced as still relevant.
Columns referenced: “Open Door” and “Insights from the Front Lines” (Library Journal, still available online).

Serving Elementary Schools via Public Library Partnerships

A class question prompted discussion of Gwinnett’s partnership model with Gwinnett County Schools (~175,000 students):

Every student’s school ID doubles as a library card.
A dedicated website serves elementary-age children.
Book hold-and-deliver pilot: Students place holds and books are delivered to their school within 3–4 days.
Annual summer training introduces school librarians/media specialists to library resources.
The library and schools co-create marketing materials for parents covering in-person and online offerings.

Advocating for Participatory Service Under Resistant Leadership

A class question explored how staff can encourage participatory service upward without overstepping.

Two levers that get leadership attention: money and solving a visible problem.
Frame increased leadership engagement as a solution to a morale or service problem.
Position leaders’ experience and knowledge as something staff needs.
Show how their participation can pay dividends in public relations.
Make the conversation about their legacy and visibility rather than criticism of their current behavior.
A past column by Michael Casey and Michael Stephens on selling ideas up the chain of command was referenced.

Open+ Extended Hours Program

Running since 2016 at 5–6 Gwinnett branches.
Hours: 8–10 AM and after regular closing until 10 PM. These are described as “unstaffed” hours, although staff generally arrive around 8:30–9 AM.
Evening hours always include a security guard: the cost of one guard versus 4–7 staff members.
Nearly zero security incidents over approximately 10 years.
One recent incident involved a contracted security guard who falsely claimed prior police experience; a background check failed.
No harm came to staff or customers, and the vendor’s screening process is now under review.

Key user groups served:

Parents between school drop-off times.
Remote workers seeking quiet morning computer access.
Students and adults who cannot visit during regular hours.

Recommendation: Include evening security, particularly in suburban or urban locations and when daylight hours shorten.

AI in Libraries: Current Use and Future Vision

Gwinnett launched an “AI Navigators” team about a month ago.
The team includes a cross-section of staff, from leadership to part-time frontline employees.
Two-year roadmap: discovery phase, benchmarking other library systems, and eventually policy recommendations to the board.
At the same time, all staff are completing a Google/Coursera AI course.
Gemini, available through the library’s Google EDU account, is being used internally to search Gmail and Drive more effectively.

AI, Marketing, and Authenticity

Discussion highlighted a tension between efficiency and authenticity in using AI for library marketing.

An agreement was reached with the marketing director to use real photographs of real staff and library spaces.
AI-generated imagery may undermine long-term trust with the community.

AI Literacy in School Libraries

A school library perspective introduced the idea of a stoplight model for student AI use, balancing AI literacy with traditional database research skills.

A Future Vision for AI-Powered Library Catalogs

Possibilities discussed included:

Natural-language and visual searching, such as: “blue cover, mystery, man fishing.”
Integration with cover art through services such as Syndetics and with published reviews.
Full-text searchability, with publisher agreements, to surface thematic connections that go beyond traditional subject headings.
Talpa Search (talpasearch.com) was suggested as an example of this approach. The LibraryThing/Delaware Libraries project is already exploring these possibilities. Michael Stephens will add the link when posting the recording.
The Netflix documentary The AI Doc was recommended for broader context on the field.

Ideas & Resources to Explore

Talpa Search — talpasearch.com
A LibraryThing/Delaware Libraries AI catalog-search project worth exploring.

The AI Doc — Netflix
Recommended during the session as a resource for broader context about developments in artificial intelligence.

Open+ Security and Vendor Screening
The discussion also underscored the importance of carefully reviewing vendor background-check procedures when implementing extended-access library services.

Image: Michael & Michael at London Apple Store in 2008!