Modern Libraries: Bridging the digital divide
Brooke Bell
3/16/20234 min read
When Nicollette Davis started college at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, the future seemed unclear. After changing her major a few times, she struggled to find a career path she was passionate about.
To Davis’ surprise, her passion was rooted in her part-time job at a local library.
“I’d never really seriously considered [being a librarian] as a career probably until my senior year of college,” Davis said. “My mom actually told me how much passion I had for the work at the time. When I was part time, she just saw me light up when I talked about libraries, books and helping people.”
After graduating with her library science degree in 2018, she earned a master’s degree in library and information science from LSU. A year later, she began working as a public librarian. Currently, she works as an academic librarian at LSU.
With many years of library experience, Davis has gained personal and professional satisfaction from her work as a librarian.
“The most rewarding [part] is that I get to make a lot of connections with people,” Davis said. “Now, I get to connect with faculty and students, and it's always rewarding to see people get that ‘aha’ moment when we're doing research, consultations or exchanging information.”
Her experiences also led her to be selected as a member of the American Library Association’s Emerging Leader Program. The program selected 46 members this year to collaborate with other librarians on planning projects, learning more about the ALA structure and understanding how to become a leader as a librarian.
Although her career has been fruitful, one issue Davis has noticed as a librarian is that few understand her career.
“The most challenging thing, honestly, is that a lot of people don't know what librarians do,” Davis said. “I have a good friend and every time we talk, I have to explain what I do. It's kind of a running joke at this point.”
Davis often has to reckon with the stereotypes of librarians seen in pop culture.
“A lot of people just think that we read books, or we only do certain things,” Davis said. “But it's really a multifaceted career. We're not just sitting in our cubicles, reading books and wearing cardigans. We're actually doing a lot of work that may not be seen on the forefront.”
To the surprise of many librarians, social media is bridging the gap between librarians and the public.
Libraries and books have become popular sources of content on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Librarians nationally have used social media platforms to promote libraries. Library patrons have also joined in by showing their love of libraries.
For Mary Stein, assistant director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, social media has been instrumental in dispelling misconceptions about libraries.
“No matter what book it is, [social media] has helped with [word] of mouth marketing,” Stein said. “[It’s like] ‘hey, the library's still alive and kicking. And we've got good books. We've got new books.’ You know, our books aren't nasty, dusty, dog-eared books. They're nice, fresh books. I think that social media has been helpful in that respect.”
With books and authors becoming bestsellers as a result of videos on social media, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library also uses its social media presence to alert patrons that they can find trending books at the library for free.
Jorja Hlifka, a junior psychology major at LSU and an avid reader, discovers many new books on social media.
“I have more recently started following accounts on Instagram [where book readers] review books,” Hlifka said. “I have noticed that there are all those directed ads, so maybe they just push that towards me more because I research books and everything. But I have noticed that [book reviewing is] more common on social media.”
As a librarian, Davis has seen the benefits of book and library-related content on social media.
“We [librarians] definitely still have a space in the book community, whether it's on social media or in real life,” Davis said. “A lot of people may not be going into libraries for whatever reason, but if they're on social media, maybe we can meet them there.”
While Stein recognizes the impact social media has had on her library, the idea that libraries have lost their popularity is something she views as a misconception.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Library reached record numbers during the pandemic, Stein said.
“During COVID, [patrons] were forced to use our online catalog,” Stein said. “They were making reservations like crazy because they were limiting their visits [outside]. They were using the drive-thru pickup windows.”
Stein also noticed an increase in the use of Libby, also known as OverDrive, the library’s eBook platform, during the pandemic.
“Thousands of people had to learn to use our Overdrive,” Stein said. “So, we did break the 1 million Libby download number [in 2020]. We have broken that again this year.”
Most librarians also attribute the growth of libraries to the wide array of resources libraries offer aside from renting books.
“If I had to pick one role that [the library plays] it would be [bridging] the digital divide,” Suzanne Stauffer, a library and information science professor at LSU, said. “The library provides access to the physical computer, [and] there's no charge for that. There's Wi-Fi [and] there are people there who will help you learn how to use it. There's no charge for any of that.”
Stauffer also mentioned the free educational classes offered to the public through the library.
The popularity of libraries in recent years should not be much of a surprise, Stauffer said. More people tend to use libraries when there are recessions and other national economic issues.
“Historically, we see that library use increases whenever you have any kind of financial downturn,” Stauffer said. “And we certainly have that, partly because people just don't have money to buy books.”
Now, libraries provide patrons with trending entertainment like streaming and Wi-Fi, Stauffer said. They are evolving and meeting younger audiences in all the places they love.