Reverence or Reference? Juxtaposing Semiotic Depictions of Academic Libraries
(CSU, Fresno)
A new wave of technology is one major macrocosm factor that ushers in new values in societies. Whereas historically, Art was deemed sacrosanct over Entertainment, the influx of new technology over the years helped create new trends in society that enhanced the values of Entertainment over Art. In this paper, I challenge the assumption that CSU-Fresno students and library faculty and staff share a similar understanding of libraries. Working from a framing exercise developed by Dr. James Mullooly—where a dichotomy was built between the library as a place of higher symbolic value (i.e., reverence) in one extreme to a place of lower symbolic value (i.e., reference)—members of our research team we able to effectively investigate possible generation and socioeconomic class gaps between the primary stakeholders and their clients. How has modern technology impacted members of “Generation Y” and how has it shaped their approach to understanding the importance and functions of academic libraries? Are libraries revered temples of sacred knowledge, where gatekeepers uphold traditional values or are they impediments to a students workflow? In the last part of the paper, I take an in-depth look at how one-on-one service models like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Starbucks have become important referential models for members of “Generation Y”.