Start Again! Entry 1 - Analysis of Reading: "Perceptions of Libraries and Information Sources"

Hey! Back to business. For my first reading, I chose to take a look at the article "Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources". I downloaded this report as a .PDF and was surprised to find that this report is rather... lengthy. About 290 pages of lengthy. It is, however--mercifully--split into five sections, with an Introduction and Conclusion. As I don't think I'd be doing it (or my brain) much of a service by trying to summarize or interpret 290 pages in one post, I've decided to cover my analysis in parts, as well, starting today with the Introduction.

Introduction to Perceptions of Libraries and Information Sources



As readers, we are first introduced to a concept apparently first presented in a report from 2003, that posits an overall "dissonance" between "library consumer" and Libraries, I suppose, as a person-less entity. This dissonance is derived from what the library consumer seems to desire from a library experience but which the Library--or the 2003 Library-Entity--does not seem to provide. The idea of a disconnect between library consumers and Libraries causes some rather probing questions in the author(s) of the PLIS report (we're calling it that now): How are libraries perceived by today’s information consumer? "Do libraries still matter? On what level? Will library use likely increase or decrease in the future?"

To answer these and other questions, the OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) Market Research Team with the aid of other OCLC staff and hundreds of Librarians conducted a study, the goals being to know more about " . . . people’s information-seeking behaviors, how familiar people are with the variety of e-resources libraries provide for their users and how libraries fit into the lives of the respondents."

In large part, the study seems to deal primarily with the library consumer's awareness of electronic resources available and how library consumers perceive what the author(s) refer to as the "Library" brand. Though I think the technicalities of the survey for the most part were well over my head, I did gather that the availability of Internet resources and the library consumer's awareness was key in the study--which, in the end, proved more to "confirm" ideas than to illuminate.

As I said, a great deal of the Introduction was well over my head as it discussed results of the various surveys, even though there were several helpful (and colorful!) charts provided. If I have more to add to the reading of the Introduction I certainly will do so, but I feel I should probably end here, as there is a great deal to wade through in Part 1 of PLIS!

Week One Cont'd - Library Blogs

Following blogs related to Library Science is something relatively new to me. I hadn't thought of blogs as a means toward better understanding Libraries, but through some of these blogs I've been able to find insight into almost all aspects of careers in Library Science, from personal blogs detailing the day-to-day, to blogs focused on the improvement and development of the modern library. Here are just a few I've come to follow closely in the last year:

Awful Library Books

This Blog is one that first caught my attention simply for its entertainment value, but which soon led to greater discoveries in the world of Library Blogging. Though it is good for a laugh, this website deals with a very serious issue in the library world today: that is the issue of keeping up with the times in the modern library. How can one expect a library to help educate and help the public when gems like this, though hilarious, pollute shelves? I'm not so sure any teen in this decade looking for a "Survival Guide" would go looking to Dee Snider for advice. The idea of "weeding"--or the removal of out-dated, unhelpful, or just plain silly books from library shelves and catalogs--led me on a search to find out more about what steps people are taking in the library community to keep up with the times--or keep ahead.

Of note: the two librarians who keep up this entertaining blog also keep personal blogs about their own trials within and ideas about modern libraries, to be found here and here.

Librarian.net

One of the first and longest-running library blogs, the blog's author, one Jessamyn West, seems to touch on every aspect relevant to the Library Sciences. Having discovered this particular blog only a few months ago, I've had the fun task of wading through the archives, dating back to September 2003. It is a literal smorgasbord information, the author offering up links to articles, web resources, charts, graphs, and lists documenting--well, anything, really--links to and reviews of library events, and accounts of her personal experiences as a librarian visiting libraries all over the country and further. This blog really is not so much an information engine as it is a deeply personal look into the life of a person who doesn't just make a career out of librarianship, but an entire lifestyle. It is something truly inspiring, and well worth the effort of digging through the archives.

The Annoyed Librarian

Another highly entertaining blog, authored by the library world's leading polemicist. Keeping things anonymous, the Annoyed Librarian seeks, in almost always a comic way, to inform the reader of the latest news in the library world while at the same time giving it a good one-two punch. The AL keeps things light, but very expertly exposes what is problematic about the changing atmosphere of Library Science. It is most definitely a very different (though always informative and hilarious) way to digest library news.

In the Library With the Lead Pipe

Finally, probably the most interesting of the blogs is this collaborative journal from six librarians from all walks of life. The blog itself focuses on the composition of articles by which the authors dispel myths and explain the truths regarding the Library Sciences. For me, it has not only been exceedingly interesting but very helpful, as I make my way through the archives, in understanding libraries and their role in communities, schools, universities, and so forth, with six different voices (and sometimes guest-contributors) to give perspective.

Though these four are the blogs I follow most closely (or rather, regularly), there are more blogs of note, for their educational value or simply for how fun they are. Here are a few:

The Days & Nights of the Lipstick Librarian! - A fun little jab at the stereotypical, silence-obsessed, "Marion the Librarian."
Librarian Avengers - Blog of the author of the famous "Why you should fall to your knees and worship a Librarian." Read it!
Closed Stacks - A quirky and funny collaborative blog with a greater focus on the reading aspect of Library Science.
Library Lover's LiveJournal - A highly interactive LiveJournal community open to all those interested in or simply in love with libraries. Not just for librarians!

These are just a few of the library blogs to be found on the internet, but favorites of mine in the way they have helped me speed up and maintain my interest in Library Science. The entertainment value of these blogs seems key, as these blogs are accessible to most anyone. They are also testament to me that the library world is thriving and moving forward each day! This really is an exciting time to be entering the field.