Goal 2: Understand the essential nature of information and its relevance to our diverse society.

Outcome 2a: Describe various definitions and concepts of information.

Outcome 2b: Explain the impact of information policies on intellectual freedom, access, literacy, information behavior, and other aspects of library and information science.

Outcome 2c: Develop appropriate responses to assessed information needs within diverse communities/organizations.

Outcome 2a. Describe various definitions and concepts of information.

Connection:

The assignment I chose for outcome 2a was my Creating a Core Collection assignment. This assignment came from a class devoted to learning how to curate a collection. This assignment was important because it piqued my interest in academic libraries. This class did an excellent job of looking at all the different types of things that make up a collection, books, journals, magazines, databases and so much more. Looking at what belongs in a library’s collection made me consider all the things that count as information.
Depending on the library type, setting, or specialty the type of information available will change. This assignment gave me a very narrow focus and I was still overwhelmed. However, because of what I learned in this class I could sort out through the resources. I then had to justify why I would include them. This taught me the importance of doing thorough research when deciding what resources, and therefore information, should be prioritized in libraries.

Creating a Core Collection:

Small Liberal Arts College with a New Opera Major

For this assignment I focused on what materials I would start with when developing a collection. In this scenario I based my fictitious school and library after my undergrad alma mater, Southern Virginia University (SVU). SVU has a student population of just over 800 students. It is a very small community but it still strives for academic excellence. In my scenario my library closely resembles the size of Southern Virginia University and its focus on liberal arts. As the collection manager of this library I am excited for this new opera major and am looking at what resources would be a good starting point for this collection.

My fictitious library's commitment to the best resources and the power of a well rounded education helped guide me with this assignment. A college with a Liberal Arts focus fosters a commitment to lifelong learning and looking at education from different angles and I really wanted my budding collection to reflect this. I chose resources that hit many different areas that students will need to study for this new major. These resources are to be a starting point and then based on interest and feedback I would expand from there.

In this situation my fictitious school has a general music program that has both instrumental and vocal focuses in addition to a theater program. Now they have seen growth and increased interest in the vocal performance side and have hired staff for an opera major. This means my library would already have some basic vocal, music, and performing resources. Most of the resources I have chosen tie into opera specifically. However, being a small school I also tried to keep in mind that that means a smaller budget and some of these resources should be useful for the other programs.

My proposed list is built from looking at books recommended for this major and resources that are from highly regarded places. I tried to pick resources that serve a general purpose while also being more geared toward opera to support the new major. Hopefully, these are also resources that professors could use and recommend. If this was a real scenario I would do general research, create this list and then talk to the faculty about their needs and recommendations. Having a resource that a professor does not endorse is one I would then put on the backburner until the program is better developed and then revisit its usefulness.

Creating this list I started with a very general search, “opera basics”. Then I searched for the top music schools. Juilliard and Berkly of course popped up. Juilliard’s library is closed to the public and I could not see any resources. However, Berkeley let me search its library’s collection. This was incredibly helpful. I also sought out reviews that are well respected in the academic music field. I want these materials to be the best quality and hit several interesting areas for this major. Please refer to general bibliography for a list of sites and tools used for this assignment. The total cost of all the resources would be around $1,307.00 which would fit the budget given.

This was an incredibly helpful exercise. It helped to have something I was interested in researching. It feels good having a prompt that feels very real. After doing this assignment I feel pretty confident I would have a good place to start if I needed to do something like this at a job. I learned that this takes time. Building a collection is not done overnight; it is an active and living project. It really made me consider what I value in a collection that is starting from scratch.

Annotated Bibliography

Black Opera: History, power, engagement ($110.00)

André, N. A. (2018). Black opera : history, power, engagement. University of Illinois Press.

This is a book that looks at the history of opera and how it is performed. Unlike other histories this one looks critically through a diversity lens. Opera is a very old tradition with a rich and complex history. The reason this book should be added is it tells the history of opera in a different way. It challenges stereotypes of opera and how important diversity is in the arts.

In a review from The Cambridge Press it says “In Black Opera, André frames her discussion with sensible parameters. As the title suggests, she covers manifestations of blackness in opera, explores its history, how power (political in nature on various levels) has impacted performances and negotiated a history of blackness (or the lack thereof) in opera,” (Muller, 2020). Diversity is an important part of a collection. This resource would help challenge ideas of opera and who it is for while also affirming marginalized groups.

Cambridge Opera Journal ($128.00)

Cambridge Opera Journal | Cambridge Core. (n.d.). Cambridge Core. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-opera-journal

This journal is published three times a year by Cambridge. It has articles and information about opera and how it relates to relevant topics in academia and in the performing world. Part of the appeal is that it will always be a current source. It will help students stay aware of what is happening in their field. This valuable resource has to be purchased yearly but I think the quality and frequency of the information would be extremely valuable for this new major.

Cinema's Illusions, Opera's Allure: The Operatic Impulse in Film ($11.00)

Schroeder, D. (2016). Cinema’s illusions, opera’s allure: The Operatic Impulse in Film. Bloomsbury Publishing.

In this book Shroeder connects opera and film. He explores how opera is adapted on to the screen and how its music and tropes have influenced cinema in general. It shows how opera connects to pop culture. One reason to add this book is it could be used not only by opera majors but also film classes, music classes, and other history and art classes. It has a versatility that makes it valuable. In an article by Oxford Academy author Citron references this book and how it is an excellent resource (157). Having this available will help students study how the arts are connected. This supports the university's goal of creating well rounded thinking academics.

Complete Vocal Fitness: A Singer’s Guide to Physical Training ($80.00)

Friedlander, C. (2018). Complete Vocal Fitness: a singer’s guide to physical training, anatomy, and biomechanics.

One thing that may surprise people about singing is that it can be very physically taxing. Additionally when performing opera, arguably the most physically demanding vocal performances, there is a story unfolding. Opera is music but it is also theater. This book talks about how being physically in shape is a valuable part of training. I liked that the author emphasizes how physically demanding singing is and provides recommendations on what you need to do to become a physically fit singer. In her blog The Holistic Singing Method Reid writes “It nicely weaves physical training, anatomy and, most importantly, its connection to the voice and performing. It gives a good indication of what is expected to be physically fit when performing.” Reid is a vocal performer and vocal coach which is a valuable opinion to take into consideration. This book hits the physical performance instead of looking at history or theory. Its practicality makes it a good candidate for this collection.

The Inner Game of Music ($14.00)

Green, B., & Gallwey, W. T. (1986). The inner game of music. Doubleday.

This book is a great example of music theory. It really dives into helping singers develop their confidence and style. It is part self help book following the authors other books about success by looking inside yourself for validation. It seems an easy enough book to pick up and help students gain confidence performing. In a review by Jonathan Harnum he writes “There is a lot of useful information in this little book, and it’s clear that Green–a professional symphonic bass player and university teacher–knows what he’s talking about and writes clearly about it.” This is a strong endorsement that this book understands music. It will be a valuable resource not only for the new opera major but the other music programs.

Metopera on Demand ($150.00)

Metropolitan Opera. (2023). Metopera on Demand. metopera.org. https://www.metopera.org/Season/On-Demand/

Metopera on Demand is the Meteroplotan’s Opera streaming service. It has over 800 performances done by the opera both past and present. I believe this resource is incredibly important because of its live performances. When training to be a performer it helps to see how it is done. Seeing different operas preformed will help student’s study this art. There are also different performances of the same opera. This will help teach students that performances can vary based on many different factors. It would also be helpful for professors who want to discuss operas. This would give them that access that they need to show performances or assign them for homework.

Naxosmusiclibrary ($500)

Naxos Music Library - invaluable resource for music enthusiasts and collectors. (n.d.). https://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/login

Naxos Music is a music library database. This database is incredibly important because it will give students access to many different resources. Its tagline is “ The most comprehensive classical music streaming platform. An invaluable resource for universities, public libraries, schools, music professionals and collectors.” This is a big offer. However, looking at it I think it would be a great resource to add to the collection. Like some of the other resources this is not just an opera resource but also valuable to other music majors and classes.

Opera : a history in documents ($125.00)

Weiss, P. (2002). Opera : a history in documents. Oxford University Press.

This book is a history of opera using primary resources. It places operas within the historical context that is sometimes needed to understand. With opera there is a lot of history and traditions that need to be studied. This book is great because it is not just a history textbook but a book that uses evidence of different time periods to show the influence of opera. Because it has the primary sources it includes this would be an excellent resource for research projects and papers. It may not have half as many connections to other classes as other resources but it seems like an excellent resource to start an opera collection.

The Opera Manual ($104.00)

Martin, N. I. (2014). The opera manual. The Scarecrow Press, Inc.

This book is a general guide to operas. It goes through over 550 operas with synopsis and details about performing them. I’d add this to the collection because it is a great guide for beginners and seasoned students alike. Having a good reference book available like this will help students get a general idea of opera. In Reference Reviews it says, “It is a thorough guide to a large number of operas, designed to support those planning a performance or production both in selecting a work appropriate to the forces available or to be able to check quickly what is required in terms of chorus, orchestra, soloists and stage management. . . .The book is a fine example of a resource not replicated on the Internet and a handy guide for major music libraries. . . .[I]t is a well-researched work of reference of the type still needed in book format.” This review really solidifies its value to this collection. This guide would serve as a good foundation for this collection. The large amount of information that it covers will help offset the cost.

Singing and Teaching Singing: A Holistic Approach to Classical Voice ($84.00)

Chapman, J. (2016). Singing and teaching singing: A Holistic Approach to Classical Voice, Third Edition. Plural Publishing.

This is a valuable addition because it goes over the physical mechanics of singing. The author is a singer and explains each piece to become a great singer. There is a physical, emotional and scientific side. Chapman also includes a CD with the text to show examples of what she is describing. This book takes so many parts of being a singer and examines them carefully. Since opera is also many parts working closely together I think this would be an excellent resource for this collection. It will help the students see parts of their art they had not thought to focus on. Having the CD will also help students who need an auditory component to their learning.

Complete Bibliography

https://www.amazon.com/Opera-Manual-Music-Finders/dp/0810888688/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UF6KNK5ISGD6&keywords=The+Opera+Manual&qid=1700317867&s=books&sprefix=the+opera+manual%2Cstripbooks%2C184&sr=1-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.17d9e15d-4e43-4581-b373-0e5c1a776d5d

André, N. A. (2018). Black opera : history, power, engagement. University of Illinois Press.

7 BOOKS EVERY SINGER SHOULD READ. (2023, January 26). Rebecca Reid Vocal. https://www.rebeccareidvocalstudio.com/post/7-books-every-singer-should-read

Books, F. (n.d.). The best classical music & opera books. Five Books. https://fivebooks.com/category/music-and-drama/music-books/classical-music-opera-book/

Cambridge Opera Journal | Cambridge Core. (n.d.). Cambridge Core. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-opera-journal

Chapman, J. (2016). Singing and teaching singing: A Holistic Approach to Classical Voice, Third Edition. Plural Publishing.

Citron, M. (2006, January). Music & letters. Oxford Academy.

Friedlander, C. (2018). Complete Vocal Fitness: a singer’s guide to physical training, anatomy, and biomechanics.

Green, B., & Gallwey, W. T. (1986). The inner game of music. Doubleday.

Harnum, J. (2014, May 14). Book review: The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green. The Practice of Practice. https://thepracticeofpractice.com/2010/03/21/book-review-the-inner-game-of-music-by-barry-green/

Martin, N. I. (2014). The opera manual. The Scarecrow Press, Inc.

Metropolitan Opera. (2023). Metopera on Demand. Metopera.org. https://www.metopera.org/Season/On-Demand/

Muller, W. (2020). Naomi andré black opera: History, power, engagement. Cambridge University Press, 254–257. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781787449503.021

Naxos Music Library - invaluable resource for music enthusiasts and collectors. (n.d.). https://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/login

Schroeder, D. (2016). Cinema’s illusions, opera’s allure: The Operatic Impulse in Film. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Steiner, L. (n.d.). The Opera Database - resources. https://theoperadatabase.com/resources.html

Weiss, P. (2002). Opera : a history in documents. Oxford University Press.

Welcome | The Library. (n.d.). https://library.berklee.edu/

Outcome 2b. Explain the impact of information policies on intellectual freedom, access, literacy, information behavior, and other aspects of library and information science.

Connection:

This assignment was an examination of how to prioritize what born digital items should be preserved. The focus was on archives and digital information and resources but the things I researched are easily transferable. This assignment is a good fit for outcome 2b because it was one of my first assignments that I realized how much information and resources there is out there. I think most librarians want to make sure as much information is accessible by anyone at any time. Unfortunately, this is unrealistic. Librarians need to keep the balance of having access to information and prioritizing resources while also not letting biases cloud judgment.

What to Preserve?
How to prioritize born digital items in an archival setting

In the archival world there are many schools of thought about what needs to be preserved. Archivists need to constantly evaluate the merit of their collection and the materials in that collection. Not only is there physical material and collections to consider but now archivists need to be aware of born digital materials and whether it needs to be a part of their collection. Then they need to decide how to preserve these materials.
First, we need to look at the basics of what should take priority in a collection. Then whether there is digital material that needs to be addressed, found, and preserved. Lastly, we will look at how to preserve these materials. Now, because each archive is unique and has an individual mission, we will be looking at one example to focus on. Using the Dominican University Archive as a case study we can look at these questions and better expand on this subject. The goal of looking at this archive and these questions is that other archivists can better assess their own collection and prioritize their materials physical and digital.
The best place to start evaluating what should be preserved is the American Society of Archivists. On their website they describe DAC’S as “Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) is an output-neutral set of rules for describing archives, personal papers, and manuscript collections, and can be applied to all material types. It is the U.S. implementation of international standards (i.e., ISAD[G] and ISAAR[CPF]) for the description of archival materials and their creators” (American Society of Archivist’s website official). Now these standards are key to helping archivists and other librarians in their position decide what is worth preserving. It is important to remember these guidelines as we explore this topic of what should be preserved in general and in the physical world.
The next important resource that will guide us is looking directly at what the Dominican University Archives states is their main purpose and function. On their website it states, “The Archives is responsible for identifying, appraising, collecting, organizing, describing, preserving, and making available for research and reference Rosary College and Dominican University records of sufficient historical, legal, fiscal or administrative value to warrant permanent preservation.” As we evaluate what we should be preserving from the digital world we will also keep these guidelines of the Dominican Archives in mind. Most archives have a similar statement of purpose and this will simply act as a guide.
There are many interesting articles about what should be preserved and because “digital” is a hot button issue in all libraries fields there are main opinions to shift through. Starting with the broad will help narrow down this subject. One article which had many interesting points is “Digital Preservation: The Conduit through Which Open Data, Electronic Government and the Right to Information Are Implemented.” In this piece the authors go through current research that is going on that shows how important the digital is to save in archives. It also describes how access to information is important to the public and the right to information is becoming a part of what archivists must fight for in their work.
The Next article I found interesting deals specifically with born digital materials and their place in a university archive. Since we are using Dominican’s archive as a guide this article is very relevant. In “Digital Preservation Practices in University Libraries: An Investigation of Institutional Repositories in Africa” Anyaoku and other authors look at how the digital materials are being preserved in academic institutions in Africa. It is important for archivists to participate in a world view of the field. Many times, in the archive field it seems like just western ideas are considered and looked at in preserving history. In this article not only does it address key points to consider such as what should be preserved but it does so with a different background than most other articles on the subject. It reminds archivists to keep a broader perspective.
Another article that goes into specifics about archives and their role in preserving digital materials by looking at a specific subject is Nathan Moles’s “Preservation for Diverse Users: Digital Preservation and the ‘Designated Community’ at the Ontario Jewish Archives” This article is a wonderful example of what a current archive is doing to prioritize material, especially digital material. Similarly to the Anyaoku article it takes a specific case and goes in depth at exploring how and why things should be preserved.
To help preserve the digital we also need to look at how the digital affects people. In the article “How Does Digital Competence Preserve University Students' Psychological Well-Being During the Pandemic? An Investigation from Self-Determined Theory,” written by Wang and others explores how having “digital competence” can affect people, specifically college students. This piece is very important not only for what it says about preservation but how the current pandemic is affecting students and archives. It can be hard to remember we are in the middle of history, major history. This article reminds me of how a local library sponsored a project to tell people’s pandemic stories. It took submissions of poems, drawings, written pieces and more. It then displayed them online. This is a small example of how an archive can preserve important history. Sometimes an archive needs to sponsor projects like this or oral histories to gather a deep and rich perspective of current events.
Another important way to prioritize what is important is to look at what has been preserved. In Ian Milligan’s article “Archives: Preserve Our Digital Heritage.” In this article it is wonderfully laid out how the digital is intertwined with what is relevant to today’s culture. Archives need to focus on the now but also the past. If we look at how things have been preserved, we can gain a better understanding of how to preserve things for future generations. This is what this article does. It shows that we need to both consider what has been saved and its impact and what currently needs to be saved. Both need to be examined and depending on the motive and purpose of the archive given the time and energy required.
Another interesting article that looks at modern issues is Tang’s “Sex in the Archives: The Politics of Processing and Preserving Pornography in the Digital Age.” In this article it looks at several issues that seem taboo or salacious. Often, we look at the easy things to preserve. However, there are so many things that we need to examine our biases and how we preserve things. This article faces several hard issues head on and asks the reader to examine uncomfortable topics. One topic it looks at is how offensive things should be preserved and whose responsibility it is. This is why archives have a statement of purpose. I think things like pornography might not need to be preserved by the average archive but should be by a sex archive. Yet nudity is not always pornography. And I think archives need to carefully consider when it is appropriate to depict nudity and whether they should have procedures to place warnings on materials. Warnings, while not ideal, do make it easier for researchers to navigate what they are comfortable with.
The final article we look at to prioritize is the article “The Changes in the Way to Create, View and Preserve Digital Information.” The authors deal with the digital and how to preserve it. The three authors ask “how do we prioritize? Especially with so much digital content?” These are all questions to carefully consider. The main answer they give is things that impact a community as determined by the archive. This is an eloquently simple answer. However, it works as a fantastic guideline. The main problem is bias. Each person will have a different opinion but in the end it will be the archivist job to determine what is worth preserving.
Now that we have explored many resources and their relevance to this topic it is time to apply these schools of thought into an actual archive. The Dominican University Archive has a very large statement of purpose as we previously looked at. Here are a few things that I think should be considered when thinking about what should be added to the archives. Is it directly related to the archive’s statement of purpose? Does it reflect what happened in the past or present? Will it be better preserved somewhere else? As shown previously there are lots of biases in archives that archivists need to self examine, but in the end they get to make the call.
Archives have been an important part of society for a long time and as there is more history being made there needs to be changes to keep with the times. Born digital materials in particular need to be carefully considered and evaluated whether they should be given the time and resources to preserve them. Each archive and other historical institutions need to make their statements of purpose clear so that when they are questioning materials' worth they are adding the most relevant material to their collections.

Bibliography
Adu, Kofi Koranteng, et al. “Digital Preservation: The Conduit through Which Open Data, Electronic Government and the Right to Information Are Implemented.” Library Hi Tech, vol. 34, no. 4, 2016, pp. 733–747., https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-07-2016-0078.

Anyaoku, Ebele N., et al. “Digital Preservation Practices in University Libraries: An Investigation of Institutional Repositories in Africa.” Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 35, no. 1, 2019, pp. 41–64., https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-10-2017-0041.

Cordon-Garcia, Jose Antonio, and Raquel Gomez-Diaz. “The Changes in the Way to Create, View and Preserve Digital Information.” Information Resources Management Journal, vol. 27, no. 3, 2014, p. iv.

Dominican archives website : https://research.dom.edu/archives

Milligan, Ian. “Archives: Preserve Our Digital Heritage.” Nature, vol. 497, no. 7449, 2013, pp. 317–317., https://doi.org/10.1038/497317b.

Moles, Nathan. “Preservation for Diverse Users: Digital Preservation and the ‘Designated Community’ at the Ontario Jewish Archives.” Journal of Documentation, vol. 78, no. 3, 2022, pp. 613–630., https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-02-2021-0041.

SAA Website: https://www2.archivists.org/groups/technical-subcommittee-on-describing-archives-a-content-standard-dacs/describing-archives-a-content-standard-dacs-second-

Tang, GVGK. “Sex in the Archives: The Politics of Processing and Preserving Pornography in the Digital Age.” The American Archivist 80, 2 (Fall/Winter 2017): 439-452.

Wang, Xinghua, et al. “How Does Digital Competence Preserve University Students' Psychological Well-Being During the Pandemic? An Investigation From Self-Determined Theory.” Front Psychol, vol. 12, 2021, pp. 652594–652594., https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.652594.
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Outcome 2c. Develop appropriate responses to assessed information needs within diverse communities/organizations.

Connection:

This very involved assignment was a deep dive into what place self-published materials have in libraries. My “Hot Topic Handout” fits with outcome 2c because I had to put in many hours of effort researching this topic. I looked at different opinions about self-published material and how they can be either good or bad and each library needs to have proper policies in place to help make that decision. One thing I learned through this assignment was how self-publishing is a tool for academics and also for communities and peoples that have a harder time using the traditional publication route. When looking at resources I think it is becoming increasingly more important to look into any connection the resources has to marginalized groups (which could be positive or negative).

Hot Topic Handout:
Evaluating Self-Published Materials and Deciding if They Have a Place in Your Collection

One topic I have been drawn to when it comes to collection development is when are self-published books appropriate. When building a collection libraries want the best materials available but they also want books that are interesting to the community they serve. In this assignment I want to look at evaluating self published books and when they are a good fit for a collection.
As I did my research I hit three common themes. One was how the publishing world is changing. Almost all of the articles I read included a section on how traditional publishing is getting more selective and harder for new authors to break into. The articles claim that self-publishing has been growing and it is a section that can not be ignored by libraries.
Another important theme of these resources I looked into the benefits of including self-published materials in your library. There were interesting recurring themes. Such as, it is accessible to new authors and minority authors leading to more diverse books. Self-published materials can help build trust with the community if you include local self-published authors and/or self-published materials that are specific to your area or your library.
The last theme was how to evaluate self-published materials in relation to your library. While the general consensus of my research was self=published materials are important for libraries to include there were precautions. For example libraries should include self-publishing guidelines in their collection policies. Also when looking at self-published materials get as much information as possible. This can include reading reviews and looking at the author's credentials if it is a more academic work.

Questions:
If you are including a self-published section in your collections policy what would that look like?
Do you only include self-published books? Or can it be other materials that are self published?
How do you handle saying no to a self-published author when their materials are not a good fit for your library?
Annotated Bibliography

Baverstock, A. (2012). Why Self-Publishing Needs to Be Taken Seriously. LOGOS: The Journal of the World Book Community, 23(4), 41–46. https://doi-org.dom.idm.oclc.org/10.1163/1878-4712-11112005

In this article the author talks about self-publishing and how it is a growing industry. She then argues that despite it being so big it is often ignored, particularly in the academic community. The author talks about personal experiences with academics having a very biased view on self published work and that the term “self-publishing” is negative. She concludes that academics need to be more open minded because the publishing industry is changing and self publishing is only becoming more relevant.

Camacho, J. D. (2013). Is the E-Reader Mightier? Direct Publishing and Entry Barriers. Journal of Scholarly Publishing, 44(4), 327–339. https://doi.org/10.3138/jsp.44-4-002

This article was really helpful in my research because it highlights how traditional publishing is becoming harder to break into. The author uses examples how self-publishing is becoming more and more accessible. This helps not just first time authors but also materials and authors from marginalized groups get taken more seriously. If a library is taking advantage of self published materials they are reaching people who the traditional publishing industry is ignoring.

Chester, G. (2021). From Self-Publishing Collective to Multinational Corporation: The Publishing History of In Other Words–Writing as a Feminist. Women, 32(3/4), 372–394.

This article is interesting because it looks directly at an example of self publishing helping women cut through a male dominated industry. The author shows how the journal “In Other Worlds” stopped being published in the 90’s and it was fought for and brought back to life in part because of the power of self publishing. The women, including the author, had to use self publishing because it was the only avenue left. This whole article adds weight to the idea that professionals and academics use self publishing too.

Culley, J. (2017). Self-Published Books: Should Libraries Buy or Not? Southeastern Librarian, 65(1), 2–6.

This is a great resource because the author gives a hard look at evaluating whether self published books are appropriate for libraries. Ultimately she concludes it is not a broad yes or no but rather a case by case bases to see the work's worth. She looks at libraries specifically in Mississippi and whether or not they are using self published materials. The author discusses how reading reviews is one way to evaluate if a self published work is appropriate for your personal library.

DAWSON, L. (2008). The Role of Self-Publishing in Libraries. Library Trends, 57(1), 43–51. https://doi-org.dom.idm.oclc.org/10.1353/lib.0.0021

For this article the author is taking a critical look at whether self-published materials do have a place in libraries. The author acknowledges that it is becoming more popular but also sounds wary of collecting just any self published materials. He argues that self published books need to be more heavily scrutinized but there can still be a place in the library for these materials. One specific suggestion he has is looking at the author's qualifications.

Glantz, S. (2013). Do Self-Published Books Have a Place in Your Library? Library Media Connection, 32(1), 20–21

This is a very useful article because it explains that libraries have many reasons to be included in your library such as, they are cheaper and it supports smaller authors or new authors. The author does stress the importance of making sure that the self-published materials are good quality. This means turning to reviews. The author not only makes the helpful suggestion to check several reviews but also gives specific places to look for reviews, Book Blogger Directory.

Hadro, J. (2013). What’s the Problem with Self-Publishing. Library Journal, 138(7), 34.

Hardo starts this article by describing why self-published books are difficult for libraries. He goes into the high number, the lack of quality control and that most are only published electronically. He also acknowledges that reviews can be hard to find and verify for these materials. However, he does claim there is space for them in the library. He writes that self-published books should be directly to serve the community, local authors or interests only.

Landgraf, G. (2015). Solving the Self-Published Puzzle. American Libraries, 46(11/12), 44–47.

In the article the author acknowledges that the publishing industry is changing and that self publishing is becoming more legitimate. He references libraries like the Toronto library getting more and more requests to add self publish books. He mentions adding self published works are useful, one it is a way to get books about local interests and two it helps build a relationship with the libraries community. The community libraries serve are best served when there is open dialogue with what people want. The author points out that this often means considering library books.

Moulaison Sandy, H. (2016). The Role of Public Libraries in Self-Publishing: Investigating Author and Librarian Perspectives. Journal of Library Administration, 56(8), 893–912. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2015.1130541

This article is really interesting because the author seems more wary of self publishing because it can be hard to evaluate its worth. The author then conducted a study to find information around self published authors. She shifts from being critical about self publishing and talks about how self published authors and libraries are stronger working together. The library gets the books out there and they are building a meaningful relationship with authors and their community.

Sarnecka, B. W. (2020). Why Would a Professor Self-Publish a Book? Journal of Scholarly Publishing, 51(4), 309–313. https://doi.org/10.3138/jsp.51.4.11

This article is different because instead of looking at self-publishing from a library perspective it looks at it from the authors side. Sarnecka describes her own experience self-publishing as an academic. Her main focus in self-publishing is she wanted control. She wanted her work to be accessible to her main target academics. Her goal was not to make money but to share information quickly and cheaply. This article gives perspective on why authors self-publish.

Goal One

Goal Three