The library in the life of the public: implications of a neoliberal age
J Buschman - The Library Quarterly, 2017 - journals.uchicago.edu
The Library Quarterly, 2017•journals.uchicago.edu
Wayne Wiegand consistently put forward the research agenda of the library in the life of the
user. A focus on libraries' publics is a useful variation: What, now, is the library in the life of
its public (s)? In order to undertake this analysis, some practical definition of libraries' public
(s) must be clarified, and how they might have changed in recent (neoliberal) times. With this
background in place, an analysis of how publics now approach libraries is possible—and
clarifies library responses within our current neoliberal environment.
user. A focus on libraries' publics is a useful variation: What, now, is the library in the life of
its public (s)? In order to undertake this analysis, some practical definition of libraries' public
(s) must be clarified, and how they might have changed in recent (neoliberal) times. With this
background in place, an analysis of how publics now approach libraries is possible—and
clarifies library responses within our current neoliberal environment.
Abstract
Wayne Wiegand consistently put forward the research agenda of the library in the life of the user. A focus on libraries’ publics is a useful variation: What, now, is the library in the life of its public(s)? In order to undertake this analysis, some practical definition of libraries’ public(s) must be clarified, and how they might have changed in recent (neoliberal) times. With this background in place, an analysis of how publics now approach libraries is possible—and clarifies library responses within our current neoliberal environment.
The University of Chicago Press