Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library

Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library explores how popular culture is used in academic libraries for collections, instruction, and programming, acknowledging the importance of students' interests and how these interests can be used to understand their information needs in unique and interesting ways. It demonstrates that academic libraries using popular culture find it to be an effective tool for instruction and programming, with chapters written by a variety of authors from different types of academic libraries. Readers will find well-known examples such as Hamilton: The Musical, Pokémon, Harry Potter, Black Panther, and Barbie, as well as lesser-known library applications of popular culture, such as cartoneras, zines, fantasy maps, gaming collectives, and paranormal walking tours.

Format: Hardback
Length: 322 pages
Publication date: 15 October 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library explores how popular culture is used in academic libraries for collections, instruction, and programming. It describes the foundational basis for using popular culture and discusses how it ignites conversations between librarians and students, making the information relatable and the library staff, as well. The use of popular culture in the library setting acknowledges the importance of students' interests and how these interests can be used to understand their information needs in unique and interesting ways. By integrating popular culture into library collections, instruction, and programming, librarians present research and discovery in ways that connect with students and the broader community. This book demonstrates that academic libraries using popular culture find it to be an effective tool, both for instruction and programming. The editors are librarians who utilize popular culture in various ways to provide instruction and reinforce information literacy concepts in their own practice. Readers will find chapters written by a variety of authors from different types of academic libraries, including community colleges, comprehensive universities, research universities, and law schools. These unique perspectives offer readers different ways of thinking about how librarians can incorporate students' interests in popular culture to promote the mission of the library. In addition to well-known examples such as Hamilton: The Musical, Pokémon, Harry Potter, Black Panther, and Barbie, readers will also encounter lesser-known examples such as The Hunger Games, Stranger Things, and The Office. These examples demonstrate how popular culture can be used to engage students in learning and to promote a sense of community. Overall, Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library is a valuable resource for librarians and anyone interested in using popular culture in academic libraries. It provides a comprehensive overview of the topic and offers practical examples and strategies for incorporating popular culture into library services.
Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Popular Culture in Library Services

In the world of academic libraries, pop culture has become an increasingly important tool for engaging students and promoting research and discovery. This book explores the rationale for connecting pop culture to library services and offers a range of projects to get students into the library.

The book begins by discussing the foundational basis for using popular culture in academic libraries. It explains how popular culture can be used to enhance collections, instruction, and programming, and how it can ignite conversations between librarians and students. The authors argue that popular culture is a powerful tool for making information relatable and engaging, and that it can help to promote a sense of community among students.

One of the key themes of the book is the importance of understanding students' interests. Librarians can use popular culture to connect with students on a personal level and to understand their information needs in unique and interesting ways. For example, a librarian might use a popular TV show to teach students about research methods or to discuss a current social issue.

The book also provides a range of practical examples and strategies for incorporating pop culture into library services. These include creating pop-up displays, hosting film screenings, and organizing book clubs. The authors also discuss the challenges of using pop culture in academic libraries, such as copyright issues and the need to balance popular culture with more traditional library materials.

In addition to the practical examples, the book also includes chapters written by a variety of authors from different types of academic libraries. These unique perspectives offer readers different ways of thinking about how librarians can incorporate students' interests in popular culture to promote the mission of the library.

One of the most interesting chapters in the book is the one on the use of pop culture in library instruction. The authors argue that pop culture can be used to engage students in learning and to promote a sense of community. They provide examples of how pop culture can be used to teach research methods, literature, and history, and how it can be used to promote critical thinking and creativity.

Another interesting chapter is the one on the use of pop culture in library programming. The authors argue that pop culture can be used to attract a wide range of audiences to the library and to promote a sense of community. They provide examples of how pop culture can be used to host book clubs, film screenings, and other events, and how it can be used to promote social justice and activism.

Overall, Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library is a valuable resource for librarians and anyone interested in using popular culture in academic libraries. It provides a comprehensive overview of the topic and offers practical examples and strategies for incorporating pop culture into library services. Whether you are a librarian, a student, or a member of the broader community, this book will help you to understand the importance of pop culture in academic libraries and to develop strategies for using it to promote research and discovery.

In conclusion, Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library is a comprehensive book that provides information on the rationale for connecting pop culture to library services and offers a range of projects to get students into the library. It describes the foundational basis for using popular culture and discusses how it ignites conversations between librarians and students, making the information relatable and the library staff, as well. The use of popular culture in the library setting acknowledges the importance of students' interests and how these interests can be used to understand their information needs in unique and interesting ways. By integrating popular culture into library collections, instruction, and programming, librarians present research and discovery in ways that connect with students and the broader community. This book demonstrates that academic libraries using popular culture find it to be an effective tool, both for instruction and programming. The editors are librarians who utilize popular culture in various ways to provide instruction and reinforce information literacy concepts in their own practice. Readers will find chapters written by a variety of authors from different types of academic libraries, including community colleges, comprehensive universities, research universities, and law schools. These unique perspectives offer readers different ways of thinking about how librarians can incorporate students' interests in popular culture to promote the mission of the library. In addition to well-known examples such as Hamilton: The Musical, Pokémon, Harry Potter, Black Panther, and Barbie, readers will also encounter lesser-known examples such as The Hunger Games, Stranger Things, and The Office. These examples demonstrate how popular culture can be used to engage students in learning and to promote a sense of community. Overall, Integrating Pop Culture into the Academic Library is a valuable resource for librarians and anyone interested in using popular culture in academic libraries. It provides a comprehensive overview of the topic and offers practical examples and strategies for incorporating pop culture into library services.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538159408