IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jinfst/v69y2018i12p1405-1413.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Equipped for resistance: An agonistic conceptualization of the public library as a verb

Author

Listed:
  • Johanna Rivano Eckerdal

Abstract

A theoretical framework for understanding public library development is presented; plural agonistics is used in combination with an approach inspired by posthumanism. The framework is related to examples from a study of two Swedish public libraries. Antagonism is viewed as foundational, and democracy as an ongoing process, the task being to transform antagonism to agonism, with institutions like libraries postulated as important spaces for adversaries to meet in dialogue. Libraries are viewed here as constantly becoming institutions, and the librarian's identity as an ongoing enactment of the library. To underscore the crucial role the library fills in society, it is conceptualized as a verb and a new word is proposed: to librarize. Discussions about the content of libraries are critical for librarians to find ways to perform the library. The ongoing debate is part of the professional performance of librarians. Librarians should, while acknowledging that there may be no single right way, debate over what is the most beneficial way to facilitate libraries’ vital role in democracy. Conceptualizing of the library as a verb and its implications for librarianship as a possible active agent for radical change within society are offered as articulations of resistance.

Suggested Citation

  • Johanna Rivano Eckerdal, 2018. "Equipped for resistance: An agonistic conceptualization of the public library as a verb," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 69(12), pages 1405-1413, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:69:y:2018:i:12:p:1405-1413
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.24069
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24069
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/asi.24069?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:69:y:2018:i:12:p:1405-1413. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.asis.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.