Overview

This book explores how pop culture is used in academic libraries for collections, instruction, and programming. It also describes the foundational basis for implementing pop culture and discusses how it promotes conversations between librarians and the students, making not only the information relatable, but the library staff, as well.

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9781538159408

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Reviews

While pop culture hasn't always been kind to the image of librarians, Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library shows that academic libraries are places that pop culture can, and should, thrive. The editors and contributors do an excellent job showing that zines, Harry Potter, Barbie dolls, reality television, and paranormal ghost tours all have a place in our academic world. All fun and future-thinking academic librarians should read this book. Even those who already work in libraries may view libraries differently afterwards.--April Sheppard, Assistant Library Director, Arkansas State University

"Editors Johnson, Thomas C. Weeks, and Jennifer Putnam Davis offer ideas and bibliographies to help academic librarians bring pop culture into the library. Featuring essays written by academic librarians at community colleges, comprehensive universities, research universities, and law schools, the book is divided into four sections: foundations, collections, instruction, and programming. The authors provide practical advice and suggestions for hands-on activities that allow students to creatively engage in library spaces: using makerspaces to create zines and books; using streaming media; games, for example, ""Blacks and Whites: The Role, Identity, and Neighborhood Action Game""; and even paranormal walking tours. With a wealth of available pop culture materials, deciding which direction and materials to pursue can sometimes be challenging. Still, the authors emphasize the importance of connecting information literacy to real life and taking advantage of opportunities to explore feminism, critical race theory, history, and intersectionality in the process. As they note, ""Teaching librarians know that information literacy skills are not solely applicable to library resources: these skills should be applied to every aspect of our daily lives."" A comprehensive book, providing information on the rationale for connecting pop culture to library services and offering a range of projects to get students into the library. This thought-provoking and engaging book would enhance any academic library's professional collection. Keeping information literacy instruction relevant and engaging is an ongoing issue in academic librarianship. Johnson, Weeks, and Putnam-Davis have put together a wonderful collection of research and case studies on using pop culture in an academic setting. Discussing topics from the history of pop culture to the ways it can challenge the norms of modern-day scholarship, to what being an academic library means, the essays provide compelling evidence for the presence of pop culture in academia. Since social media, television, movies, and theater are constantly evolving and changing, case studies offer a template for instruction that can be considered and applied to other pop culture concepts. Beyond the classroom, this book makes a case for pop culture as part of collections that libraries offer access to and in the programming libraries offer. Recognizing the changing world, this book offers guidance on maintaining the academic library's relevance not only to the college as an entity, but also to the life experience of the students who attend. Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, and professionals. The early essays in this book give a solid history and rationale for including popular culture materials in the academic library. The other essays bring together thought-provoking examples of using current popular culture in academic library instruction and programming to engage today's college students. This book is a great resource for librarians and others who wish to critically engage students from all disciplines by using materials that they are familiar with in their everyday lives. This book has incredible breadth and depth on the topic of popular culture collections and services in academic libraries, making it not only useful for people who are new to the field, but also an engaging read sure to generate ideas even for the most seasoned professionals. While pop culture hasn't always been kind to the image of librarians, Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library shows that academic libraries are places that pop culture can, and should, thrive. The editors and contributors do an excellent job showing that zines, Harry Potter, Barbie dolls, reality television, and paranormal ghost tours all have a place in our academic world. All fun and future-thinking academic librarians should read this book. Even those who already work in libraries may view libraries differently afterwards."

Author Information

Melissa E. Johnson is the Assistant Director of Reference and Education Services at Reese Library, Augusta University, where she also teaches freshman composition courses. She has previously published chapters in Approaches to liaison librarianship: Innovations in organization and engagement by C. Crichton & R. Canuel (Eds.),Open praxis, open access: Digital scholarship in action by D. Haugh & D. Chase (Eds), The Grounded Instruction Librarian by Jackie Belanger, Lauren Hays, Melissa Mallon, Rhonda Huisman, and Cara Bradley (Eds.), and Library partnerships with poets and writers: Case studies by C. Smallwood & V. Gubnitskaia (Eds.). Johnson is co-editor of Augusta University’s undergraduate research journal, The Arsenal. Johnson earned both her Master of Library and Information Science degree as well as her Master of Arts in English degree from Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA). She is currently pursuing an EdD from the University of North Georgia (Gainesville, GA). Thomas Weeks is a reference and instruction librarian at Reese Library, University Libraries, Augusta University (Augusta, GA). He has previously published a case study of creating multimedia tutorials using established best practices in the Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning and a chapter in the book The Grounded Instruction Librarian, edited by Jackie Belanger, Lauren Hays, Melissa Mallon, Rhonda Huisman, and Cara Bradley. He is a 2016 graduate of ACRL's Immersion program. Weeks earned his MLIS from Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA) and an MS in Instructional Design and Technology from Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA). He is currently pursuing an EdD in curriculum studies from Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, GA). His research interests include critical librarianship, cultural studies of education, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Jennifer Putnam Davis is the Scholarship and Data Librarian at the Robert B. Greenblatt, MD Library, University Libraries, Augusta University (Augusta, GA). She has previously published an article with co-author Johnson in the Serials Librarian, and a case study with co-author Weeks in the Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. Davis is co-editor of Augusta University’s undergraduate research journal, The Arsenal. Davis earned her MA in Medieval Literature from the University of York (York, UK) and her MLIS from Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA).

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