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. This book describes the foundational basis for using popular culture and discusses how it ignites conversations between librarians and students, making not only the information relatable, but 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 asHamilton: The Musical, Pokémon, Harry Potter, Black Panther, and Barbie, readers will also encounter lesser-known library applications of popular culture, includingcartoneras,zines, fantasy maps, gaming collectives, and paranormal walking tours. All of these examples highlight the multiple way libraries leverage popular culture to expand their reach and identity with students and the community at-large.

Melissa E. Johnson is the Assistant Director of Reference and Education Services at Reese Library, Augusta University, where she also teaches freshman composition courses. She has previously published chapters inApproaches to liaison librarianship: Innovations in organization and engagement by C. Crichton& R. Canuel (Eds.),Open praxis, open access: Digital scholarship in action by D. Haugh& D. Chase (Eds),The Grounded Instruction Librarian by Jackie Belanger, Lauren Hays, Melissa Mallon, Rhonda Huisman, and Cara Bradley (Eds.),andLibrary partnerships with poets and writers: Case studies by C. Smallwood& V. Gubnitskaia (Eds.).Johnson is co-editor of Augusta Universitys undergraduate research journal,The Arsenal. Johnson earned both her Master of Library and Information Science degree as well as her Master of Arts in English degree from Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA). She is currently pursuing an EdD from the University of North Georgia (Gainesville, GA).

Thomas Weeks is a reference and instruction librarian at Reese Library, University Libraries, Augusta University (Augusta, GA). He has previously published a case study of creating multimedia tutorials using established best practices in theJournal of Library& Information Services in Distance Learningand a chapter in the bookThe Grounded Instruction Librarian,edited by Jackie Belanger, Lauren Hays, Melissa Mallon, Rhonda Huisman, and Cara Bradley. He is a 2016 graduate of ACRL's Immersion program. Weeks earned his MLIS from Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA) and an MS in Instructional Design and Technology from Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA). He is currently pursuing an EdD in curriculum studies from Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, GA). His research interests include critical librarianship, cultural studies of education, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Jennifer Putnam Davis is the Scholarship and Data Librarian at the Robert B. Greenblatt, MD Library, University Libraries, Augusta University (Augusta, GA). She has previously published an article with co-author Johnson in theSerials Librarian, and a case study with co-author Weeks in theJournal of Library& Information Services in Distance Learning. Davis is co-editor of Augusta Universitys undergraduate research journal,The Arsenal. Davis earned her MA in Medieval Literature from the University of York (York, UK) and her MLIS from Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA).

Preface

Part 1: Foundations

1. Uses of Popular Culture in the Academic Library: A Literature Review by Presley Dyer
2. Classic to Modern Conceptions of Popular Culture and the American Academic Library by Erin Sweeney Smith
3. Making Bookmaking Communities: Popular Publishing Cultures and Makerspaces by Sean Pessin and Robert Montoya
4. Stream this! Using Pop Culture to Build Confidence and Connect Community College Students to Academic Research by Monika Chavez and Esteban Aguilar

Part 2: Collections

5. Popular Culture in Special Collections: A Case Study in Collection Development and Instructionby Miriam Intrator
6. Mapping the Imagination in an Academic Library by Jeremy Brett and Sierra Laddusaw
7. Wakanda as a Window to the Study of Africa by Gene Kannenberg, Jr
8. From Boo Radley toMy Cousin Vinny: Popular Film Collections in Academic Law Libraries and Legal Education by Rebecca Ciota, Jill Sturgeon, and Baylee Suskin

Part 3: Instruction

9. Lessons from Hogwarts and Beyond: Harry Potter and the Endemic of Media Bias by Jean Boggs and Jamie Witman
10. Not Throwing Away Our Shot: Engaging Students in Resource Evaluation UsingHamilton: An American Musical by Jessica Mattera, Susan Adkins, and Bethany Dietrich
11. Information Literacy and Library Instruction through the Lens of Influencers and Reality Television by Naomi Binnie, Jesus Espinoza, and Gina Levitan
12. The Pedagogy of Zines: Collaboration, Creation, and Collection by Claire Du Laney, Clare Maakestad, and Monica Maher
13. Teaching Copyright through Pop Culture for Public Scholarship-Based Instruction by Franny Gaede and Kate Thornhill

Part 4: Programming

14. Paranormal Walking Tours on the University Campus by Courtney Block
15. Gathering in the Libraries: A Collective Experience by John Meier, Christopher Burke, and Stephanie A. Diaz
16. Using Multicultural Barbie Dolls to Teach Colonialism, Racism and Income Inequality by Jennifer Tang
17. Science Meets Popular Culture Speaker Series: A Texas Tech University Libraries Outreach Initiative by Erin Burns, Amanda Laubmeier, Robert G. Weiner, and Innocent Awasom
18. Building a Research Data Management Program through Popular Culture: A Case Study at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries by Hannah C. Gunderman

About the Contributors

About the Editors

Index