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It’s so true that we remember those talented people that can hold the attention and deliver enjoyment, engaging the crowd, delivering the great lines. I gues not all of us are talented that way hahaha . Storytelling with my children was such a joy, it’s something all of us remember with much happiness, but I guess it doesn’t come easily to everyone. Your son is fortunate to have a mum who is attuned to his needs Stacey 🙂 I bet he loves reading with you.
Thank you Steven 🙂 I enjoyed reading about this area. I’ve learned a great deal from this course, not just about libraries but about the way things work. Such as research and funding and the politics and machinations behind them. Oh for a world where research and knowledge were separate from the grubby business of money! But of course that has never been the case and, no doubt, never will be so we have to learn to play the game and remain adaptive to changes in the rules.
Thanks Stacey, that’s a great summary. There was so much to talk about and as usual it was fast and furious conversation. Twubs crashed on me a couple of times so I missed chiming in on the discussion my remark provoked (gnashing of teeth!) Nevertheless, despite the handicap of my rotten typing speed I’m going to miss those discussions 🙂 I also really enjoyed the discussion about zines – I’e read some without knowing what they were but now I do! I agree with your point that it’s important for libraries to collect material like zines in order that collections properly reflect the diversity of our communities. How boring and unrepresentative if all we had was the culture of one group recorded as our history – that’s true of all kinds of age groups, genders, race, etc etc. Let’s celebrate our diversity, even if we don’t necessarily like bits of it. It’s all important as part of the mix.
I always enjoy your posts Paola, you always take a thoughtful approach. In the great debate about whether ebooks and kindles etc are “better” than books I’ve never understood why it’s necessary to choose one when you can embrace both! I was interested to read about Lauren Collen’s study that concluded that the kids were just as engrossed by the story, whether told in digital or physical formats. With my own children, reading with them was such a joy, imaginations flying, sneaky tickling and giggling, and adding in personal twists and turns. The physical book seemed like such an important part of that experience but really there’s no reason why an ebook couldn’t do the same job, maybe with some added advantages as you point out. I wish Skype had been a possibility when my boys were small – it existed but internet speeds were so slow in the Pacific at that time, it wouldn’t have been feasible to have read a story. How lucky we are now! We can use the technology we have to enjoy something we’ve always enjoyed in new and different ways – the story!
Hi Samantha, I really enjoyed your reflection. I didn’t really understand properly what zines were before this week, except in a vague way. Now I know I’ve seen, touched and read them without knowing there was a word. I’ve been interested in the discussion on zines when people talk about “touching” and their “tactile” nature. I think that’s similar to physical books – a lot of people talk about wanting to hold books, turn pages and breathe in their smell, in contrast to the kindle etc experience. Obviously when zines are hand-made that increases the intensity of the experience. And wow! a note from the author – that’s special. I saw recently that you can buy “empty” bottles and scented candles that are said to hold the perfume of books. How weird are our lives becoming that a bottle of air that may (or may not!) smell, oh so briefly, of a perfume that may once have been commonplace but is now endangered? You’re absolutely right, that as our lives become more digital, we need libraries to preserve zines that speak of experiences that may never come again, that were of their time and place. They speak in a number of ways, not just by reading their content on a screen.
How cool is that library! I can’t help thinking of Peldon’s lonely experience with her little boy at the Mt Gravatt library – what a diference to have groups of noisy kids in a circus environment. I know which one I’d want to be at even if the noise becomes a disturbance at times. But it puts librarians in an awkward situation, particularly when the parents are sitting close by in a coffee shop. Peck’s idea that firm rules that are enforced is really sensible and useful for hardworking librarians but also for kids who need to have boundaries so they can understand their own behaviour. I guess it’s a bit of a balancing act – balancing a fun space with a space that still a library space that others use. Doesn’t sound like a problem that’s going to go away any time soon.
You won’t regret it Bronwyn although I have to add a warning – Trove is adictive! Thanks for the detailed overview – although I’ve been a Trove user for a while, there always seem to be avenues I haven’t explored, just waiting for me around the next corner. A lovely experience.
I understand the person who was in charge of setting up Trove is now at Europeana so that might be your next port of call!
Hi Luke, thanks for your summing up of the Twitter chat. I think I’m going to miss them! They certainly are fast and furious but you’ve done a good job in sorting out the threads and highlighting posts. I have to admit right here that while Jane Austen is my all time favourite author I thought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was a hoot. You’re right to say it may not last – the whole zombies thing may be a passing fad. But it’s a great example of pop culture, homing in on part of the zeitgeist and subverting “high” culture with an amusing twist. Whether it lasts or not it was fun at the time, and to me that lies at the heart of “pop culture”.
I think that’s right Samantha, I was outraged by the juxtaposition of the 2 pieces of information that grabbed my attention this week – First that our kids are essentially being cared for after schoool in places likes libraries and secondly that libraries are seen as so unimportant that they can be run by volunteers! That makes our kids unimportant as well as all the programs, products and services that libraries provide! I was surprised that this was happening, pleased that libraries were stepping in to help and then outraged by the downgrading of libraries.
There re some fantastic volunteers out there but unless those volunteers themselves are professionally trained librarians this is a situation where everyone misses out!
End of rant #2 🙂
Love it Steph – love your passion and your commitment. I can feel my new superpower growing within me! I’m definitley going to need a cape though ….
Hi Ruth, I was reminded strongly when I was reading your reflection of my time as a lawyer with the ABC. It was at the time when they were looking at releasing some old Countdown clips for the first time on DVD/CD – OK everyone in this class is way too young to remember Countdown so you’re just going to have to believe me, it was once a huge ABC hit! Anyway, I was given the happy task of thinking about how the copyrights and performers’ rights for this ancient show could possibly be cleared. So many beloved songs, so many beloved performances, so many sequins! So many old rockers to try and track down, that’s if they were still alive 🙂 As it turned out, it was possible, but not for years after I had left the ABC to go and live in Paradise.
I guess my point is that it takes people who care enough about this stuff to find the way to preserve it and your point about collections being lost or forgotten when their champion leaves is well made. I discovered that a lot of Countdown material had been recorded over because the ABC was short on video stock. Just about broke my heart, but we saved a load too. I’m sure my contribution has long been forgotten but it always makes me smile when I hear those old songs 🙂 So let’s jump in and record and save those zines! Copyright will catch up one day.
Hi Paola, I loved your idea of comparing guided museum/gallery and library tours, maybe it’s a question of libraries becioming more creative with their collections so they feel they have something to “show”, rather than just talk about. Like Katherine, I also liked the idea about inserting strategic blanks, getting people thinking, planting ideas.
I’m feeling inspired to go and see this exhibition now – one of my great, great grandfathers was a young Canadian photographer when he visited an exhibition in New York of photos of Australia in the late 19th century that inspired him to emigrate. So “photos and Australia” is a theme close to my heart, as I wouldn’t be here at all without them 😉
Hi Leena, I’m glad I gave you a topic for this week’s blog post 🙂 For me, I wasn’t trying to say that pop culture and high culture are the same thing, but that the “distinction” between them isn’t really relevant for any purpose, other than categorising things for the sake of categorising them. As Stacey points out though, sometimes it’s helpful to have labels! I think Lady Gaga and Marina Abramovic are great examples of where popular culture and high art can meet and create a whole “other” and it’s great to have women distinguishing themselves in what was a pretty male dominated art form initially.
There are important differences between the two kinds of culture and you rightly point out that pop culture invites diversity and difference, for example. The feature of pop art that appeals to me most though is the way it subverts ideas about “high” culture, particularly subverting the idea of originality by referring back to pop culture icons (like Marilyn Monroe in Andy Warhol’s art). Something about subversiveness just draws me every time. During the week Ruth referred to a quote from Michael Moore that fits here “They (librarians) are subversive. You think they’re just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They’re like plotting the revolution, man. I wouldn’t mess with them.” I loved this! That’s who I want to be. Not the person swallowing whole what I’m told is art or how a library should be 🙂
Thank you Kate, the topic was a lot more interesting than I thought it was going to be 🙂 And you’re right about libraries changing! I’m so glad I’ve done this course or I may never have understood the extraordinary way libraries are evolving and innovating to keep themselves relevant and at the forefront of changes. I find it inspiting too.
