The purpose of this qualitative study was to indicate changes in library services available to the citizens of Johnson City, Tennessee. The study covered library services available in educational and public settings for patrons from preschool to adult ages. Librarians in this study all worked in either a public library located in Johnson City, TN or worked in the Johnson City School System as a media specialist in either an elementary, middle, or high school.
This qualitative study was conducted using interviews of librarians to gain their perceptions of the library and their roles within the libraries of Johnson City. Librarians were interviewed to determine their views in the past, present, and future of the library as an establishment. Documents from the various libraries were also analyzed to determine changes in library services.
Various themes emerged from the data analysis. Participants discussed their roles as librarians, the library as an institution, and collection development. Other themes that emerged were discussions of library materials that were now or would become archaic. Participants also made projections as to the future of the library itself and whether or not it would become obsolete.
The results of this study suggest that libraries will continue to evolve as technologies and community needs and expectations change. The appearance of the library will evolve to contain more learning spaces for active and group learning. The role of the librarian will evolve as the technology evolves. It will become more focused upon teaching patrons how to use learning tools and access information rather than simply managing and controlling the library’s assets.
The librarians’ role has the potential to become one of service leadership in the community and in the school setting. The impact of the library and the librarians’ role will directly affect students, teachers, and community members. Recommendations from this study may assist in transitioning the librarian/media specialist’s role to a great service leadership model that supports individual growth and community development.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-4433 |
| Date | 01 May 2016 |
| Creators | Hawley, Johnnie Sue |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright by the authors. |
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