Exploring Collections Centered on Media Fans

 Jenkins. (2006). Fans, bloggers, and gamers : exploring participatory culture. In Fans, Bloggers, and 

        Gamers (pp. 3-49). New York University Press.

    What should library collections reflect? Should they reflect the needs of the library or the needs of information seekers? I truly believe that collections should reflect the needs of the people. The needs of the patrons coming to the library everyday seeking information. The above book is transformative in the sense that it addresses how bloggers, fans, and gamers should seek their own information through the context of library collections. Jenkins (2006) states in his book, "The new participatory culture is taking shape at the intersection between three trends: 1. New tools and technologies enable consumers to archive, annotate, appropriate, and recirculate media content; 2. a range of subcultures promote Do-It-Yourself (DIY) media production, a discourse that shapes how consumers have deployed those technologies…" If the library can capitalize on these trends from participatory culture then libraries can have very targeted collections for media fans. 

    Media fans are constantly searching for answers to their questions based on what they watch and their hobbies. Libraries are meant to serve those information seeking behaviors. Having collections that reflect that participatory culture and having the tools that media fans need will draw in new patrons and new services for this community. This book truly reveals this concept and could really help school librarians and public librarians reflect the collections that media users need. This can include the use of media platforms included with the collections as well. I plan on having a media fans center whenever I am school librarian to encourage students seek out information in the library. I hope others can follow in the same direction.