Library Without A Library
Meet the Irvine Librarians Redefining Community Through Healthy Infophilia
Infophilia, a Positive Psychology of information | June 2, 2025 | Vol. 3, Issue 30 | Local News (Bonus edition)
✨ Welcome to Infophilia, a weekly letter exploring how our love of information and connection can help us thrive, individually and collectively. For new readers (or if you're just dropping in), this is my living lab for developing the adaptive infophilia theory. I explore and explain how human information styles vary on a spectrum — from healthy to maladaptive — depending on context, literacy, emotional engagement, and so much more!
Cite as: Coleman, A. S. (2025, June 2). Library without a library: Meet the Irvine librarians redefining community through healthy infophilia. Infophilia, a positive psychology of information, 3 (30).
Dear readers,
This story brings adaptive infophilia theory to life, showing how librarians nurture healthy information behaviors that support curiosity, belonging, and lifelong learning.
Libraries are incubators of infophilia — nurturing curiosity, creativity, and a sense of wonder. More than just buildings or collections, libraries are gateways to imagination and learning, empowering us all to flourish. Librarians don’t just curate information and knowledge; they cultivate cultures of curiosity and connection.
I’ve said this many times in many ways, and last week I was thrilled to meet the first librarians hired by my home city of Irvine. These remarkable professionals embody healthy infophilia in action. As Allison Tran, the city’s second official librarian (after the City Librarian), puts it: “We’re doing library without a library.”
🚧 The transition from the Orange County Public Library (OCPL) system to a City Library is underway!
Two libraries are temporarily closed: Heritage Park and University Park will reopen August 4. Katie Wheeler, still operated by OCPL with limited hours will close June 30th, and reopen later.
📣 Meet the New Irvine Public Librarians
I’ve already introduced you to Julie Zeoli, our first-ever Irvine City Librarian. Now, I’m excited to spotlight four more of Irvine’s new public librarians.
Each brings their own “library superpower” and though they come from diverse backgrounds and cities, they share a passion for building community through imagination and access.