Equipped for resistance : an agonistic conceptualisation of the public library as a verb
Rivano Eckerdal, Johanna LU
(2018)
In Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology
69(12).
p.1405-1413
- Abstract
- A theoretical framework for understanding public library development is presented; plural agonistics is used in combination with an approach inspired by post-humanism. The framework is related to examples from a study of two Swedish public libraries. Antagonism is viewed as foundational, and democracy as an ongoing process, the task being to transform antagonism to agonism, with institutions like libraries postulated as important spaces for adversaries to meet in dialogue. Libraries are viewed here as constantly becoming institutions, and the librarian’s identity as an ongoing enactment of the library. To underscore the crucial role the library fills in society, it is conceptualized as a verb and a new word is proposed: to librarize.... (More)
- A theoretical framework for understanding public library development is presented; plural agonistics is used in combination with an approach inspired by post-humanism. The framework is related to examples from a study of two Swedish public libraries. Antagonism is viewed as foundational, and democracy as an ongoing process, the task being to transform antagonism to agonism, with institutions like libraries postulated as important spaces for adversaries to meet in dialogue. Libraries are viewed here as constantly becoming institutions, and the librarian’s identity as an ongoing enactment of the library. To underscore the crucial role the library fills in society, it is conceptualized as a verb and a new word is proposed: to librarize. Discussions about the content of libraries are critical for librarians to find ways to perform the library. The ongoing debate is part of the professional performance of librarians. Librarians should, while acknowledging that there may be no single right way, debate over what is the most beneficial way to facilitate libraries’ vital role in democracy. Conceptualising of the library as a verb and its implications for librarianship as a possible active agent for radical change within society are offered as articulations of resistance. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/5ecee529-26a8-4515-b870-756cf7bd6e1a
- author
- Rivano Eckerdal, Johanna
LU
- organization
- alternative title
- Utrustad för motstånd : en agonistisk analys av folkbibliotek som ett verb
- publishing date
- 2018-12-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- public libraries, ethnography, political science
- in
- Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology
- volume
- 69
- issue
- 12
- pages
- 1405 - 1413
- publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85052821663
- ISSN
- 2330-1643
- DOI
- 10.1002/asi.24069
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 5ecee529-26a8-4515-b870-756cf7bd6e1a
- date added to LUP
- 2017-02-02 14:42:20
- date last changed
- 2024-01-19 18:39:30
@article{5ecee529-26a8-4515-b870-756cf7bd6e1a,
abstract = {{A theoretical framework for understanding public library development is presented; plural agonistics is used in combination with an approach inspired by post-humanism. The framework is related to examples from a study of two Swedish public libraries. Antagonism is viewed as foundational, and democracy as an ongoing process, the task being to transform antagonism to agonism, with institutions like libraries postulated as important spaces for adversaries to meet in dialogue. Libraries are viewed here as constantly becoming institutions, and the librarian’s identity as an ongoing enactment of the library. To underscore the crucial role the library fills in society, it is conceptualized as a verb and a new word is proposed: to librarize. Discussions about the content of libraries are critical for librarians to find ways to perform the library. The ongoing debate is part of the professional performance of librarians. Librarians should, while acknowledging that there may be no single right way, debate over what is the most beneficial way to facilitate libraries’ vital role in democracy. Conceptualising of the library as a verb and its implications for librarianship as a possible active agent for radical change within society are offered as articulations of resistance.}},
author = {{Rivano Eckerdal, Johanna}},
issn = {{2330-1643}},
keywords = {{public libraries; ethnography; political science}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{12}},
number = {{12}},
pages = {{1405--1413}},
publisher = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
series = {{Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology}},
title = {{Equipped for resistance : an agonistic conceptualisation of the public library as a verb}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/46513738/Library_as_a_verb_accepted.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1002/asi.24069}},
volume = {{69}},
year = {{2018}},
}