Four years ago, I started collecting data for an article analysing libraries and librarians in Australia’s major newspapers. I never completed it due to the overwhelming amount of raw data. I got the idea to post some of my results and findings here from a blog that recently posted titles of ‘dream articles’ that remain unwritten. Instead of just posting the title though, I thought I would post what I had completed.

Of the two full years, and some incomplete years, of analysis completed I recorded details of over 1000 articles. As the data is incomplete and somewhat raw, there is no statistical validity to the figures presented below, but I hope at least it will be interesting!

Content analysis

A content analysis of articles on the topics of libraries and librarians in 14 major Australian newspapers in the six years between 1997 and 2002 was conducted to determine key topics and tone of articles about the sector in the media. The search was conducted in Factiva across full text using the keywords “libraries or library or librarians or librarian”. Syndicated reprints (across newspaper groups), revised articles, and other duplications were omitted. Other articles in which libraries or librarians were not the main focus of the article, but just mentioned in passing were omitted.

The audited newspapers were state-based and national publications, and included daily and weekend editions(1).

The text was analysed for content and primary and secondary topic keywords were assigned. Figure 1 shows the top 10 topics in each year. There is a consistency across each year, with exhibitions and buildings being the most frequently written about topics each year. Exhibitions includes all articles about coming and current exhibitions at libraries, and buildings includes all articles about renovations, new buildings, and discussion of the physical library space.

Figure 2 graphs all the topics occurring over the years. There was surprisingly little variation amongst the top topics. Of interest is the emergence of technological change, and the rise and fall of Internet Access as a hot topic as access became more commonplace.

Figure 3 counts the number of articles from each source. The two ACT based newspapers, The Australian and the Canberra Times had the most articles over the years analysed.

Features and exhibitions

Typically, feature articles about exhibitions made only brief mention of the host library and devoted most words to the exhibition itself. They are similar in style to articles about art exhibitions at Australia’s major galleries. Lengthy articles of this nature form the bulk of media mentions of libraries.

The analysis gives a curious insight into the public involvement of politicians in libraries. Federal politicians were rarely mentioned, and indeed, one of the very few times that the Prime Minister was mentioned was in connection with his opening an exhibition on Sir Donald Bradman at the State Library of South Australia (’Bradman, PM’s greatest’, 1998).

Tracking issues

Many issues in the profession were discussed at length in the media. The decision to discontinue World1 in favour of Kinetica, the serials crisis, renovation of the State Library of Victoria challenges to books, and access to the Internet were all hot issues. One hot issue, briefly, was the renovation of offices at the NLA during 1998.

Does it matter?

Overall, the focus in the media is on the libraries and not individuals. Is there impact on the profession itself? Many new librarians in the profession may have been influenced by media in the years analysed in their decision to pursue studies in librarianship. The ‘myth of the librarian shortage’ is frequently discussed on e-mail lists. This perception may have been created in part by the influence of media. Some articles which appeared in the years analysed were positive about growth and potential for the profession, others were alarmist about technology making libraries obsolete. However those that were positive were often clichéd and lacked facts to back up assertions about job growth:

“Far from being made obsolete by 21st-century computer technology, libraries and librarians seem set to enjoy increasing demand in the coming decades. Students, particularly, could do worse than plan and work towards a lifelong career in a profession as old as what we loosely call civilisation.” (Kenihan 1999)

And another:

“A crucial element in such 24-hour production schedules is the accurate and timely flow of information, and this has opened up a new dimension for a profession that might once have looked like an endangered species in the information economy - librarians.” (Bice 1999)

Job growth was touted:

“‘Browsing across the jobs shelf? Try looking under L for librarian.’” Unpublished Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business data shows a 3 per cent librarian jobs growth over the past three years.” (Collier 1999)

Other articles, however, seemed to sound a death knell for the profession:

“New computer technology is placing many librarian services on the endangered species list.” (Roth 1999)

Incidentally amusing

In the process of reading and assigning categories, I came across some wonderful, bizarre and amusing comments and quotes:

“Sydney University students have to be told not to eat their library cards while devouring books. Visiting the uni’s Fisher Library yesterday, colleague Bob Chisolm noted this written warning: “Please do not put your library card in your mouth. Library staff will be unable to loan to you if your card has been in your mouth.” And it’s lend, not loan.” (Porter 1998 p. 12)

Another tells a charming story of librarian ingenuity:

“Fortunately, the rugged individualist who mans the station’s music library always manages to do it his way, and his way alone. ‘We’ve got a yarn about pensioners who ride motorcycles. We need music to suggest the melancholy transience of mechanised speed. Something autumnal, yet brisk.’ ‘No worries, mate.” “Getcha motor running, Head out on the highway…’” (’As Dyson sees it’ 1998)

Reviewing a new book, this article noted:

“Here is a remarkable book about all sorts of things. It deals with so many subjects that those who catalogue books at the Library of Congress, those who allot them their ISBNs or slip them behind the single-minded bars of their barcodes, must have had several difficulties.” (Grieve 1998)

On Kinetica, then newly introduced, which sparked about a dozen letters of complain from one individual:

“Kinetica, which means energy but sounds like catfood, is working to everyone’s satisfaction, except an academic who writes rude letters to the press.” (Guiness 1999)

In the same article, describing the late Warren Horton, then Director-General of the National Library of Australia:

“In the library world (‘profession’ he corrects) Warren Horton is the tops. The bee’s knees. Here and internationally. The high priest of online cultural information.” (Guiness 1999)

Other quotes were not so flattering:

“At this library, the librarians don’t say ’shhhhh’” (Hilferty 1999)

“Passionate and librarian are words not usually found in the same sentence, but both apply to Ros Collins.” (Joynson 1999)

“‘People talk about it being a pick-up joint, but it’s not really,’ said Elizabeth, pointing out lack of talent in the adjoining seats.” (Baird 1999)

“The Opposition police spokesman, Mr Tink, said the new legislation meant people who stole a book from a public library now faced stiffer penalties than somebody who carried a knife.” (Murphy 1998)

Clichés abounded with article titles like “Librarians brought to book”, “Library pay push on the shelf”, “Doing it by the book”. The incidence of such clichés, however, was smaller than anticipated.

References

‘As Dyson sees it’ 1998, The Age (Green Guide), 17 September, p. 13.
Baird, J. 1999, ‘Shhh, It’s Time For Social Studies ‘, Sydney Morning Herald, 8 October, p. 8.
Bice, K, 1999, ‘Librarians Are Back In Fashion’. Australian Financial Review, 22 January, p. 56.
‘Bradman, PM’s Greatest’ 1998, Herald Sun, 30 January, p. 11.
Collier, K, 1999, ‘Worded up for future’. Herald-Sun. 26 June, p. 62.
Grieve, J. 1998, ‘The German Monster And The Jew Of Linz (Book Review)’, Canberra Times 15 August, p. 21.
Guiness, D. 1999, ‘Keeper of Culture’, Sydney Morning Herald (Spectrum), 15 May, p. 3 Spectrum.
Hilferty, T. 1999, ‘Winner in plenty of good books’, Daily Telegraph, 17 July, p. 24.
Joynson, T. 1999, ‘Ros puts her faith in Jewish library’, Herald-Sun, 30 March, p. 30.
Kenihan, G. 1999, ‘Doing it by the book’, Adelaide Advertiser, 17 July p. 1 Jobs.
Murphy, D. 1998, ‘State Holds The Line On Knife Bans, Searches ‘, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 April, p. 2.
Porter, J. 1998, ‘Between the lines’, Daily Telegraph, 30 January p. 12.
Roth, K, 1999, ‘Librarians brought to book over digital crisis’. The Australian, 22 June, p. 9

1. The Australian (National), Australian Financial Review (National), Canberra Times (Australian Capitol Territory), Courier Mail (Queensland), Daily Telegraph (New South Wales), Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), Hobart Mercury (Tasmania), Sunday Times (Western Australia), Sydney Morning Herald (New South Wales), The Advertiser (South Australia), The Age and Sunday Age (Victoria), The West Australian (Western Australia)