[Chris Sonneveld]

Building a library’s collection based on popular culture has both potential benefits and concerns. Content that is popular culture is likely to be in demand but could be short-lived and therefore library’s might want to hold back in investing too much in content that is popular. Investing in popular culture may deter libraries away from compiling a collection that is well-round and encompass materials leads to a collection that does not have a narrow focus on popular culture. This would be similar to online searching and filter bubbles where users are only seeing what they want to see and views and opinions that reinforce their existing ones. It would be hard to know whether patrons would acknowledge materials that they don’t have a tendency to move towards but if they are available there would always be the possibility of it occurring. A benefit to include popular culture could be to entice potential patrons that wouldn’t necessarily visit the library if those items were not available. In doing this you’re introducing people to library products and services that they previously did not know about. Due to financial limitations and limits on physical space, libraries need to be strategic in their approach on how they use these resources. The sharing of resources betweens allows libraries to be more flexible but increase wait time on popular items. If the libraries goal is to increase patrons numbers to possibility increase funding then increasing the number of popular items in your collection may be a way to go. This may make more sense as the wait time on less popular items are likely to not be as long but moral dilemmas may arise if a libraries collections  has a majority of popular culture materials that could limit a person’s learning and creativity over materials that may not have these constraints.

The new updates to the Copyright Act 1968 will allow Australia’s cultural institutions to provide its patrons with an even more diverse collection as it’s now to allowed to capture content from the Internet such as ebooks, blogs, websites and social media that it was not previously able to capture before the update the act. Before this change patrons would have been limited in the views offered through electronic resources. It would have also been difficult to hold those creating electronic content accountable because once changes had been made it was not always possible to see how they had been changed. Through archival techniques it’s now also possible to see how cultural ideas have evolved over time and pinpoint their origin.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Caitlin

Thank you for the great post. I completely agree with what you’re saying. I got an opportunity to play with my first 3D printer a few weeks ago and that was through a public library. 3D printers to me are something a tech enthusiast with lots of money would go out  and buy. Without having access to one through my local library I don’t know when I would have got to see one, let alone experiment with one. I remember 20 years ago when my father purchased a ridiculously expensive flatbed scanner for work and now I take photos of documents with my phone to scan them into my computer. I can definitely see 3D printing technology in most households within 20 years. Currently there is move to digital away from tangible objects but I think people are starting to realise that tangible is still necessary, you only have to see the popularity of physical books over e-readers.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Kirsty

Thank you for sharing your makers experience. I’ve only just glanced over Instructables in the past so thanks for reminding me it existed so I could go back and have a good look. In the last few years I haven’t allowed myself time to be all that creative for the sake of enjoyment. Even though I have had the time I struggle to justify setting some aside to be creative without it needing to be feel as though I have to achieve something or completing it because its a priority. I’m starting to see that it’s not a waste of time and that any opportunity to be creative can only be beneficial because it allows us to use our brain in different ways.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Leena

Thanks for the great post. I agree that not enough is being done in schools to give children time to develop their creative skills. There is too much focus on outcome and achievement that the act of being creative with no constraints is not seen as valuable. I’m guessing it all comes down to funding. The schools that are seen as better are the ones that produce more successful students. I think the perception of success needs to change in schools so less pressure is put on students to constantly achieve. Students need time to discover how they can be creative and to develop those skills before life gets in the way.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Paola

Thanks for sharing your wonderful post. I can totally relate to what you’re saying about doing things ‘by hand’. I’ve only recently gone back to pen and paper for my brainstorming as opposed to just typing it all out on a computer. I had previously avoided using paper to cut out the step between writing it down and adding it to a computer. Now I can take a photo of what I write and add it to Evernote so I can search for it later. Even though I’m quite a fast typer I find that by writing down single words or short sentences on paper my flow of consciousness is not as interrupted than when I’m typing.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Debbie

Thanks for an enjoyable post and sharing your Makerspace experience. I’m have no doubt that many BCC Library programs have been discontinued because it was assumed that no one was interested in them. I understand why businesses use automated systems but providing an online alternative as you’ve said would definitely help to increase numbers and allow those people who do not like talking to strangers on the phone feel more comfortable.

I would prefer a hands-on component when participating in a program but I also appreciate that a lot of time and effort has gone into providing a program to the public. It’s great that BCC Libraries are introducing people to Makerspaces as I can see them being one of the more popular programs and services as it’s something new and different for all age groups.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Steph

Thanks for the great post. I recently visited a local Makerspace and was amazed by how much autonomy there was. I think this is extremely important for any Makerspace because by removing limitations on creativity people are able to practice the skills that lead to creativity. I remember when I was in high school and graphic design was extremely limited. There was only a small lab of computers where only the tech elite were allowed to go. I understand that times have changed and now technology is much more accessible but it’s important to note that for people to see the value in creativity and to be able to build confidence in being creative people must be allowed to go beyond the boundaries of what has been done before and be allowed to make mistakes so that they can learn from them.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Will

Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I must say I’m extremely jealous as I love to see how technology can be used in new and interesting ways. I was listening to the Podcast Download This Show the other day and the topic of discussion was Technophilia. They discussed how reliant we have become on technology but also how we are using it to push the human race past its physiological limitations. They also mentioned AI and autonomous technology  as something we will need to develop so that it follow a code of ethics, whether that is programmed by us or by some other means. I’m not exactly sure which scenario sounds better.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Chris

Thanks for the great post. I think that libraries are definitely fulfilling a need by promoting popular fiction and trying to use it to entice people who wouldn’t normally read. It is a little concerning to think that libraries may end up promoting more popular fiction and forget to or financial restrictions not include content in their collection that is not considered popular. I would be interested in anyone else’s opinion on this as I’m not all that familiar with RAs or how they are usually managed.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Jennifer

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I must say I have to whenever I’m in the library they’re holding story time I have to turn up my music or on the rare occasion have to leave until story time is over because the kids are so happy to have their time in the library. In no way am I annoyed at this, as I think it’s a fantastic for young children to have an opportunity to interact with others and bond with their parents while at the same time experiencing what their local library has to offer. Encouraging reading and imagination at an early age can only be positive to the development of any child.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Caitlin

Thanks for a great article. I also think promoting reading is an important goal for libraries and not just because its important to promote their own content. Not everyone is a confident reader, myself included, and libraries have the opportunity to give confidence to those readers who may just struggle to find a book that they can relate to. There must be some value to reading the book, most of the time for enjoyment, but also, as previous posts have mentioned, allow the reader to better themselves as a person. This could just be that they are introduced to a different point-of-view or a single idea they would never have been introduced to if they had not read that one particular book. RAs have an important and exciting role of initiating these experiences through interacting with their patrons and as well as selecting books for the library’s collection.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Kirsty

Thanks for the great post and sharing an overview of your work experience. I also wasn’t aware of the term Reader’s Advisory before the Twitter Chat and feel that I would have enjoyed reading a lot more if I had access to a service like this when I was younger. I have always found it difficult to find a book I can get hooked on and after a number of failed attempts at trying to enjoy a book I usually stop for an extended period of time. Though I don’t think that RAs necessarily have to be voracious readers I do think they should have foundation knowledge on how books may differ, current trends and popular authors and have knowledge of online resources that will not only assist them as an RA but also for their patrons. At the end of the day not every recommendation is going to be a success but like you’ve said the success of an RA service will depend on creating awareness of the service and providing time to RAs to hone their skills.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Paola

Thank you for a very information post. The Twitter Chats we have been having throughout this course highlights how effective Twitter can be for a way of accessing useful information and a range of users. I can see how it is useful to library patrons as it allows people who may not have the time or live close to visit their local library. It is useful to libraries as it provides access to these these types patrons but also opens up communication channels to patrons who do not find face-to-face contact comfortable. The time effort put into developing these channels is definitely beneficial to any library’s greater community as long as it’s patrons are aware of, have access to and are skilled in using this type of service.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Robynne

Thanks for the great post. I hope my first experience with a RA is as exciting as yours. I think RA is a service that would be hard to keep consistent across branches and that it’s success is definitely up to the experience and helpfulness of the individuals at each branch. It’s nice to know that some branches share recommendations with one another and if they can’t help they’ll track down a resource that can.

Also, thanks for the RA link, I’ve found it really helpful.

[Chris Sonneveld]

Hi Debbie

Thank you for a great summary of the RA Twitter Chat. As Clare has pointed out it was a great example for us to follow for our own. I knew nothing about RAs before our chat so I found the discussion fascinating. I have never found reading that enjoyable but I think it comes down to finding a writing style, subjects and genre you can enjoy as opposed to starting a book that everyone says is great only to struggle through the first chapter. I’m definitely going to look for a RA to help me find my next good read.

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