Themes

Themes
As an outcome of the Writers & Libraries project I hope to identify broad themes that form a portrait of how libraries are transformative for community and scholarship.

So far the biggest surprises:

1) A number of stories describe transformational library failures.
2) Almost all the stories come from print media. (scholarly articles don't discuss the research method; online I probably don't click on the same type of article).
3) The stories are more diverse than I anticipated.  I thought the writers wold be naive about the range of services offered. They're not.
4) There is overt hostility towards library technology which is portrayed as a poor substitute for commercial services.

Theory: The idea that libraries are about "finding information" is far too narrow.  Recurring stories describe:
--Getting a library card/moving to the adult stacks as a transitional, coming of age event.
--A search for personal identity (gender, religion, race, culture etc..)
--A compiled reading history hat is a reflection of a person's true self
--Finding hidden treasure in dusty library stacks
--Discovering a life-changing book
--Libraries as a reflection of democratic freedom and civic engagement.

 Perhaps it's accurate to say, libraries are about discovering the complexity of being human in the world.


Research
Extreme research
Self discovery/coming of age
Finding hidden treasure
Serendipity/browsing

Collections
The life-changing book
Touching the past
Indigenous knowledge
Connection to place
Digital access

Library Space
Study/work space
A place to meet
A safe place
Display space
Civic space
Physical experience (smell of books, etc)

Staff
Librarians
Archivists
Other staff
Library employment

Services
Reference help
Preservation of materials
Technology
Discovery/ Readers advisory
Borrowing & circulation
Story time
Book sale

Library Failures
Information gap
Bad advice
Book to action gap
Censorship
Digital divide
Literacy shaming
Community disconnect
Libricide/ weeding
Discovery gap
Theft