Comments on: What IS a Library?

By: Michael.

Michael. — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:56:42 +0000

A definition I came up with for an assignment:
“a curated collection of information sources intended for use”
(With the foot notes:
* “Curation”: choosing, sorting, managing, organising, administering, maintaining and preserving.
* “Information sources” includes various material and resources in different formats, both physical (including paper, microfilm, tape, etc.) and electronic/digital. Information is meant to be taken to include entertainment, ephemera and so on, as well as the more specific types of information.
* “Use” implies provisioning access, whether by lending or otherwise, and implies not archiving for conservation purposes.)

I must have read Coral’s definition but I don’t recall doing so. But they do seem similar…

By: LibKatt

LibKatt — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:56:14 +0000

Excellent definitions. I have been looking for a useful definition of a library for a while now – that’s what brought me to this blog. However, let’s not forget another part of our communities. We, as librarians, should make a good attempt to make information accessible to all persons, e.g., the visually, physically, speech, hearing impaired and developmentally delayed people.

By: M.Artis

M.Artis — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:25:09 +0000

I think users and patrons define a library according to their needs. A patron that wants to use the library for research would define it as a centralized hub of informative resources. A patron that want to do online socializing would say that a library is an digital environment with accessiablity to the world wide web.

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By: laura krier

laura krier — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:49:33 +0000

This was my thought, too. The intention of a library is to provide access to a dedicated community; it doesn’t necessarily have to be public. In that respect, my personal collection doesn’t count, because my household doesn’t count as a “community,” at least not to my mind.

By: Melissa Powell

Melissa Powell — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:57:58 +0000

This now makes it TWO questions I struggle with: defining the library and library education.

With library education I am finding unbalance–either too much theory and not enough practical or vice versa. I teach cataloging fundamentals to non-librarians and I have MLS folks clamoring to be in the class because they didn’t get fundamentals! We need to step back and take a look at where theory and practical come together and quit trying to teach everything to everyone. If, as Kimboo suggests, we teach critical thinking, this will allow library students to learn fundamentals and be intelligent enough to then apply those to the specific libraries they work in (offering specific advanced classes for those interested, of course).

Critical thinking broadens the mind, opens up perspectives and creates opportunity for innovation. THEN, when people go to conferences they will be enticed to engage in more creative conversations with their colleagues. OR, shockingly enough, to engage in these conversations at *gasp* work! It will have become part of the profession! As David Lankes says, lack of imagination is our greatest enemy.

Now, back to deconstructing “library” as a concept.

By: Ian Anstice

Ian Anstice — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:34:34 +0000

Don’t know about a “library”. I can do what a “public library” is though.

A place open to all that provides free access to reading material and information in both printed and electronic form.

This may not be what the definition is in ten years time (likewise, ten years ago, you could have deleted “or electronic”), although I certainly I hope it will be… but it is the definition today, and that is all we can ever say with certainty.

If I was trying to address the dangers of current UK trends, I would also add something about paid staff who ensure neutrality and universality of access as well but, being we are going for a basic definition, I’m going to be good and just stick with the first parargraph.

By: Edi

Edi — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:41:16 +0000

I so love what KimBoo York stated. I was so disappointed that my library school education gave up librarianship for what was seen as a more practical education. Given that the more practical was technology based, it changed with the wind. Theory gives basis to the practical and though the tools may change, the essence of librarian should endure.

Will ‘library’ be redefined or simply clarified as it expands beyond print collections and the confines of brick and mortar?

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:31:51 +0000

Great definition Coral! I may steal this!

By: Bobbi Newman

Bobbi Newman — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:31:22 +0000

Thanks KimBoo. I agree with you, I see this definition as growing in importance, as we advocate for patron rights, from ebooks to internet access to digital literacy to good old fashioned literacy and book censorship, the definition of exactly what is a library and what does it stand for is increasingly important. I haven’t given it a lot of thought before because as I said, I know it when I see it, but as I start talking to more and more people outside of libraries I’ve noticed how important it truly is.