A small room visible through a glass wall: dynamic microphones, audio preamplifiers, sound panels and a smartphone on a mini tripod; two people in an inaudible discussion. On the side of the wall, a sign reads “sound booth.”
This is not a recording studio found in an office building, and rented out for $100 per hour. Instead, it is situated on the third floor of the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) Central branch, part of the Inspiration Lab launched in 2015 – a media hub that provides Vancouver residents with various digital equipment, space and software training free of charge.
“There’s still real educational value here, but it really is up for the reader to decide what they are going to get out of things,” says Cameron M. Pierson, professor of library and information studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a former librarian.
This type of library service is becoming increasingly common worldwide because of the technology demand in people’s lives.
Working with the community
Public libraries and librarians today no longer serve purely educational purposes as they did in the past.
Pierson points out a more collaborative relationship, between the community and the library, to directly address their needs.
“We’ve pivoted towards a different aspect of that philosophy,” says Pierson. “So librarians work with their communities, to understand what they want the library to look like for this community.”
Over the past year, VPL has added over 53,000 items to its digital collection, and digital circulation has increased by 9.2 per cent, according to VPL Annual Statistics 2023. These changes were made to better suit people’s reading habits in the 21st century. The Inspiration Lab at VPL will also continue offering highly popular free training courses in the coming weeks, such as podcast editing and recording, Photoshop basics, digital painting and 3D animation software.
“Intellectual freedom is the idea of having the right to access all information regardless of form,” says Pierson. “Part of this is hearing opinions and views that we may not agree with.”
Navigating through the digital age
However, internet and digital access should not be taken for granted. As the U.N. International Day for Universal Access to Information approaches at the end of September (Sept. 28), it is important to recognize that libraries are not competing with the internet – but serving as a complement.
According to Alicia Cheng, associate director of Central Library and public service at VPL, libraries have organized various virtual programs and digital literacy initiatives – assisting people to build digital and media literacy skills – in response to the “digital divide.”
“We partner with many organizations, including the Disability Alliance, ConnecTra and the Alzheimer Society. Our Accessible Services Department provides library materials and programs for those who cannot physically get to the library, and includes specialized collections in formats for people with print disabilities,” says Cheng. “We work alongside other community organizations to create a network of service providers that share information, as well as to examine current research on literacy levels in Vancouver, especially for children.”
With misinformation, disinformation and tumultuous discourses emerging with the popularity of social media, navigation and safe spaces are urgently needed. Cheng assures that libraries will continue to navigate people to find accurate information and reach out to the community to build connections.
For both Pierson and Cheng, one of the biggest values of libraries in the 21st century is its role in promoting and maintaining intellectual freedom because, ultimately, public libraries are places that foster community and bring people together.
“How do we encourage civil discourse even with ideas we find personally offensive?” asks Pierson. “Libraries aim to provide a space for this.”
