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Library Metaphors: Redefining Institutions for the Digital Age

Explore the evolution of metaphors used to describe libraries, from "warehouses for books" to "knowledge Jedis." Dr. Joan Giesecke discusses how restructuring and realigning these metaphors can reshape research libraries for the modern era.

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Library Metaphors: Redefining Institutions for the Digital Age

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  1. Finding the Right Metaphor: Restructuring, Realigning, and Repackaging Today’s Research Libraries March 2010 Dr. Joan Giesecke Dean of Libraries University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

  2. Metaphors Phrases that connect unlike items Phrases where one thing is used to designate another

  3. Nimble Dinosaurs

  4. Hail is always the size of something else

  5. Estimating Hail Size Pea  = 1/4 inch diameter Marble/mothball = 1/2 inch diameter Dime/Penny = 3/4 inch diameter - hail penny size or larger is considered severe Nickel = 7/8 inch Quarter = 1 inch Ping-Pong Ball = 1 1/2 inch Golf Ball = 1 3/4 inches Tennis Ball = 2 1/2 inches Baseball = 2 3/4 inches Tea cup = 3 inches Grapefruit = 4 inches Softball = 4 1/2 inches

  6. Information Highway

  7. 19th Century Metaphors • Warehouses for Books • Antiquarian Museums • Dusty places

  8. 19th Century Metaphors • People’s University • Laboratory for the Humanities • Parish Churches of Literature and Education

  9. Early 20th Century Metaphors • Business organizations • Public Utilities • Department Store Values

  10. Late 20th Century Metaphors • Warehouse for Books • Electronic Access metaphors • Librarians as Activists • Library as Partner • Library as Place

  11. Metaphors to Describe Librarians • Librarian as Teacher • Librarian as Business Leader • Librarian as Information Engineer • Librarian as Information Navigators • Librarian as the New Search Engine

  12. More Librarian Metaphors • Feral Professionals • Hybrid Librarians • Blended Librarians • Embedded Librarians • Gate Keeper, Gate Way, Gate Openers

  13. Library as Body Part • Heart of the University • Circulation System • Foot upon which the institution rests

  14. More Library Metaphors • Library as Conversation

  15. More Library Metaphors • Library as Grocery Store • Library as Kitchen • Library as Book store • Library as Laboratory for the Humanities

  16. Academic Living Room

  17. More Library Metaphors • Digital Library • 2.0 Everything • E- everything

  18. More Library Metaphors • Library as Ecosystem • Mutualism and co-evolution • Rainforest of the Sea

  19. Metaphors at UNL Libraries • Librarian as Scholar-Practitioner • Digital Media Metaphors • Library as Partner

  20. Metaphors at UNL • Discovery Tool • Central Intelligence • Google meets Amazon.com

  21. Metaphors at UNL • A group of scholar practitioners who manage the academic living room, are a publishing partner, and who bring a Google and Amazon.com experience to the search and discovery of scholarly resources to our students and faculty.

  22. Conclusions • No perfect metaphor • Ecosystem resonates with staff • Partner resonates with campus

  23. Additional Metaphors • After the talk, additional metaphors were suggested by attendees: • Library as Service • Black belt Librarians • Knowledge Jedis

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