Discussion guidelines: Make an initial post answering the question. Then, over the course of the week, comment on the posts of two different classmates.
Question: This week’s discussion topic references something that I personally feel is hard to distinguish sometimes: separating logic from emotion. This is a subject that has been of interest as far back as the time of Plato and Aristotle. The prevailing thought is “reason was the higher of the two functions” (Quinn, p. 7). Envision you are a librarian: do you agree that collection development is a cognitive or logical activity, or does emotion have a part? Explain why or why not. Feel free to chat with your library mentor to get another perspective :)
Based on our discussions thus far, it seems that we are all effected by our emotions when making decisions about our collections. However, we all try to overcome our emotions when they are getting in the way of what we know we need to be doing. It is part of our human nature to use our emotions in daily decisions, but as we have previously discussed, it can hold us back from reaching our mission in providing a wealth of literature and information to all who desire to learn. This is why we often try to reason with ourselves that logic is the best way to approach our collection.
For example: in weeding our collections we all had a difficult time with the thought of destroying books that were no longer deemed worthy of our library. But it was an imperative process, so we overcame our emotional attachment impulses and completed the task.
There are however, times when our emotions are a needed aspect of our collection development. When we are faced with situations where we have to defend literature and students access to specific topics that are often purposely overlooked and neglected, we have to incorporate emotion behind our logical arguments to make a strong stance. Logic in itself is not enough to sway the populous, however when there is an emotional drive behind it, others comprehend and relate much more strongly.
I couldn't agree more. I love that you said that having an emotional drive behind the logic would cause others to relate and comprehend more strongly. That sentiment is so right, in my opinion.
Jasmine, I love your example! I felt the same way about weeding at first, but now I understand the importance of doing so. I agree with your statement, "Logic in itself is not enough to sway the populous, however when there is an emotional drive behind it..." Very well said!
Jamine, I completely agree on both your points. First, it is so important to not let our emotions take over when it comes to weeding to material. Is it difficult? Most definitely it is. However, we must use our logic and realize the importance of weeding. If we don’t weed, we will be doing everyone involved a disservice. When we weed, we’re able to expose our students to more updated and applicable books. Now, I feel I am pretty even keeled on most things. However, about a month ago at our spring book fair, while my head librarian was at a meeting and I was left in charge, I overheard a parent complaining about some books. She was saying that the covers and titles were totally inappropriate for her younger elementary aged children. She went on to say something to the effect that we are running a secular book fair at a Catholic School. I walked over, tried to talk to her, and reminded her that we also had middle school students. I also told her how we are open after church services, which could include older students as well. That did no good. I then went back to my register and immediately looked up the books and they were all perfectly harmless books. She eventually took her complaint to the head pastor/priest, principal, and then the head librarian. While my head librarian talked to her on the phone a week later, she totally admitted that she was judging the book by its cover and not by its content. HOW IGNORANT AND FRUSTRATING!! UGH!
The article begins with the idea that selection practice is only a cognitive process and that a computer could actually select materials for a library. But according to some research experiments, “emotions steer cognitive activity in particular directions.” An individual’s emotions and moods do contribute to the decision making process. Moods can effect selection of materials in either positive or negative ways. I definitely can see how the frustration with budgets, time, and policy restraints can negatively influence the selection practice. The same is true with positive conditions influencing the selection process in a positive way. Being aware of this psychological aspect will be beneficial in the selection practice and making an effort for it to not influence decisions in a negative way. I personally do think there is both logic and emotions in collection development. Being human, it is hard not to have emotions come into play with decisions, therefore influencing collection development within the library.
I agree totally, it is hard not to have emotions meddle with the decisions that we make. Often times I have to suppress my emotions to make a decision I know I'm not happy with at work but is the best option for my students. It's going to be very interesting to see how that plays out with developing a collection.
Amy, Excellent ideas! I totally agree, how exactly do we ignore what our emotions are telling us? We must keep our patrons needs in mind first and foremost.
As a working librarian, I have reflected quite a bit on this topic. I have looked at my past selection successes and failures. I feel my emotions are always apart of this process in some way. It is sometimes hard to separate the logic and emotion. At the core of being a librarian is the ability to form relationships with your community. That weighs more heavily (for me) on the emotional side of things than logical. I carry that with me when I’m looking at resources to purchase, and I get excited when I find something I know my community wants and I love that positive feeling that comes with it. The article spoke of two types of emotions one feels when selecting: Immediate emotions and expected emotions. They can either be positive or negative. I have experienced both. When I find a resource a community member has been looking for, it is an immediate boost to my mood and maybe makes me a little more relaxed in my selection. If I find a resource for that student I’ve been trying to find their reading “hook”, I have an expected emotion of getting a positive response, even if logically, it may not fit my entire community. I know from the logical aspect, there is a straightforward process one must adhere to when looking at and evaluating resources. But, the emotions are always lying beneath the surface. If I didn’t really convey myself in the blog post, check out this YouTube video from Epic Reads. This is how I feel sometimes when purchasing books.
Lana, the idea of immediate emotions and expected emotions is something I would not have thought of. It makes perfect sense in context, and I bet it feels amazing when the emotions are positive. :)
Expected motions interest me. We know how we're going to feel about a certain topic/subject, yet we delve into them despite what we feel. And I agree with you, usually it can be positive or negative. It'll be interesting to see how I behave when I do have the responsibility of maintaining a collection.
Lana, I couldn’t agree more that it is very hard to separate emotions and logic when dealing with Collection and Development. I too feel that emotions usually play in some sort of fashion. I also like how you mention that you try to remember your students when making selections. I feel this action is a more emotional process than logical.
Lana - LOVE the video - my exact problem every time I get in a bookstore! This is a good one too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzG1NSv64Do - this is what happens when we let our emotions take over instead of using at least a little of the logic we all have!! :):) Thanks for your insights into what it is like in a library, I know that a lot of what I think now will change when I am faced with the realities of being a librarian!
I felt that I would be torn by this question at first. I consider myself to be a highly logical person (I mean I read the question first to prepare myself for reading the article) in my personal and professional work life. However, as I read the article I couldn't believe how much I started recognizing how emotion played such a key role in all of the things that I did. Brian Quinn at one point writes about how sometimes people often choose the more expensive book because they believe that the more expensive the book is the higher quality it will be. This immediately took me back to my high school days at Borders Book Store (I know right?) where I was purchasing books with my mother and she encouraged me to pick the cheaper paper back as opposed to the expensive hardcover which I thought was better. Ultimately (as is always the case) I lost my argument with my mother and got the paper back. Years later after much experience and the fact that I make my own money now, I found myself buying paperbacks because they were cheaper and just as good. Where did that come from? Most likely because I was paying for my books now and my emotions tell me, "Hey, we worked for that money, get the 7.99 book you goon", and I always listen to that voice. Why? Because whether we like it we not, we need our money and the less we have of it the less happy we are whenever we do need it. These types of decisions are related to emotions just as they are as logic. So what does this mean for our collections?
I feel that our emotions do play a role in the books that we select; in that we may pick something that is totally wrong for our collection; or influx our collection with materials we may not necessarily deem fit but because of over thinking we include them anyways to "overcorrect" ourselves and our thoughts. We are after all human, and it only makes sense that the way we feel will impact what we purchase and why. I look at my own collection at home in my living room and already can see the moments when I bought certain books and think, “Oh I bought that when dad died and I wanted to get this out of it” or “I remember that book, so and so really ticked me off and I got it to prove them wrong” or the many “I had money and this looked interesting” followed by the vast “it really was” or “wasn’t”s. While I know logic and reason must always be the way we choose books, we still have to be aware of what we’re feeling and why when collecting resources for our libraries.
James, we must have the same voice in our heads because mine always says to get the cheaper paperback too. :) Seriously though, I think the very fact that we are studying library science shows that we have an emotional attachment to books as a whole, and the emotions they conjure will effect how we collect for our libraries. I don't think emotions are a bad thing. I may think differently when I have to weed books that I have an attachment to, however.
James, you are on point when you say that we must be aware of what we're feeling and why when collecting resources. If your emotions get too out of control, it can cause you to make errors in selection.
I had never stopped to realize how much our emotions are connected to the choices we make in life. After reading “Cognitive and Affective Processes in Collection Development” by Brian Quinn, I believe collection development involves both cognitive choice along with an influence of one’s emotions. I’m not in a library at this time, but I know if I were given an opportunity to add materials to the library’s collection I would have to determine whether or not that particular title would better the collection. I never stopped to think my mood would influence my choice on whether or not I should purchase the selection in question. I know several people can be influenced by positive or negative reviews, but I never thought one’s mood would impact a purchase for the collection. One thought comes to mind, if you wake up on the wrong side of the bed it is likely that your frame of mind will impact the rest of your day. If you are negative, you will see everything around you in a negative way. On a similar note, if your mindset is a positive one, it is very likely that aura will follow you the entire day. I now see the direct connection to one’s emotion and having an influence on whether or not to purchase a particular title based on the emotions one has been experiencing throughout that particular day. I agree with the statement by Quinn, “In addition to thinking or cognition, emotion or affect is also involved” (p.7). Overall, I believe collection management ties logical choice along with an influence of emotions to drive our choices to expand the library’s collection. As a future librarian, I will always keep in mind the needs of my patron’s when making additions to the library’s collection.
At times it is very hard to distinguish logic and emotion. As librarians working on collection development, I feel it is very important that we use both. Logic is so very important because we have so many things to take into consideration. This includes many things including our clientele, our budget, our current collection, book reviews, and much more. We have to make sure that our clientele is serve the best way we can and that is when the lines get blurry. There have been a handful of times in which students have asked if we have certain titles. If we don’t have the title, I am usually quick to say we can look into getting it for you. This is especially the case when it comes to reluctant to check-out, middle schoolers. I learned a valuable lesson about that earlier this year. There was a 7th grader asking about a certain series of books. I was anxious to please her, so I used the line I already mentioned. However, as I checked out the reviews I realized it was way too high of a level for us to carry the series. My head librarian then explained to me her reasoning of being nonchalant when it comes to get certain titles for students. I feel as librarians we should be logical in all situations. However, we cannot forget to use our emotions when appropriate.
Cristofer - I understand exactly how you feel when you want to tell a child you will do your best to get the book they are interested in reading, especially if they are a struggling or reluctant reader! It is really too bad that that the series is out of reach. What grade does your school go up to? Maybe you guys could order just one of the books - the first one - to get the kids to try it and then they can go to the public library - or actually do you guys have something set up with the public library so that the kids can reserve a book or have a book delivered to them at school from the public library? Maybe you guys could do some kind of field trip to the public library so the kids can find some of the books you guys can't get. Just a thought! :):)
I wondered about that myself: why not try one title? What would it hurt? Logic says the reading level was too high, but maybe emotion said it was worth the gamble because it could be the turning point for the reluctant reader.
Cristofer, I know it must be hard to turn down a student that is interested in a book not available to them in their own school library. My librarian also stated that she hasn't invested as much on those types of reads due to the some of the content. I feel that she should have a few for those students who are ready, after all they will be in junior high the following year. Some of my 5th graders are ready for some YA reads. So, I've brought some of my son's YA series to share with those that are interested. Others have gone to Barnes and Noble or our local library to acquire these reads. I agree, as librarians we should be logical in all situations.
In my opinion if you are not using your emotions at all in your selection process there is something wrong. Emotion should never be the only thing guiding you but without it we might as well have an app telling us what books to choose based on the numbers. I’m sure that it wouldn’t be too hard to find one that has already been written or have one written using our exact specifications. The only thing separating the computers and us is the fact that we have emotions and intuition. Computers are better than we are when it comes to sorting and classifying facts and choosing the best of something if we are strictly basing that choice on measurable criteria. As I was reading this week’s article I kept waiting for them to say – “Well, that is what the researchers say, but since we want people as librarians instead of computers….” But that never happened. So, probably because I was not in a happy mood to being with and I don’t want to over compensate for being in a bad mood I am just sticking with my initial reaction to the article – Wow, why do you need me if we aren’t supposed to allow emotions into our decision making? I’m pretty sure that I do a fairly good job of taking all parts of the data into consideration when making decisions at school, but if all things are equal with the statistics then it is up to “my emotions/mood” to decide which book a child might be more interested in reading – the one with the cool pictures that really gets you in a good mood or the one with the black and white illustrations that show the information just as well but don’t create that sense of wonder and excitement. To me reading is emotional and so emotions should always have some part in our decision-making.
I was glad to finally come to this statement at the end of Quinn’s article – “The psychological evidence regarding the various ways that affect can influence cognition in decision making argues for a more self-aware, introspective approach to selection—one in which a selector’s mood states and emotions are potentially of great importance and should be afforded greater weight in the overall process of selection.”
Michelle, I agree reading is emotional, and I am always drawn to those books with drama. Decisions we make in our everyday lives involve some sort of emotion with some logic in it -sometimes. I agree with Quinn that this makes for "a more self-aware, introspective approach to selection." If we use logic combined with emotion when making our selections, then our collections will be more well developed and thought out.
Michelle, you are so right. If we wanted a perfectly logical collection, a computer could put one together. Emotions are what makes us human, and give our collections a nuance that wouldn't be there if it were strictly logic based.
In his article, Quinn explores the selection process as a logical process, but can be impacted and influenced by our emotions and moods. I began thinking of my selections in general: purchasing a vehicle, choosing what to eat, what to wear, etc. My decisions did involve logical thinking, however my emotions did influence those decisions. I think most of us can relate.
Rewind to Cristofer’s and Michelle’s week 4 Blog discussions on “Challenged Books.” After viewing the contents of this book, how many of us remained impartial? Did we let our emotions kick in? I know mine did, but I know now as librarians, we must remain impartial and consider our patrons when building our collections. Quinn states, “A selector needs to be aware of what the library already owns…and whether further material is needed.” This process would be considered a cognitive decision. However, experiments by psychologists have proven that “decision-making is not exclusively a cognitive process, emotions do play a significant role and can have a positive or negative impact on our collections.
I agree that we do need to develop collection from a logical standpoint, however, as humans we all experience some type of emotion on a day to day basis-whether good or bad. As librarians, we need to be “more aware of our moods and take these into account,” and use them when making our selections. If we balance the two, we are more prone to make decisions that are less biased and well thought-out.
I love that you brought us back to week 4. I know I was not impartial, and I know this is what is going to trip me up when I am a librarian. Mood and emotions have a part of everything we do as humans, but it is important to learn when to make our emotions take a back seat.
Great point! I really like your example of how we use logical thinking and emotions in our everyday decisions. I know it will be a struggle for me to leave my emotions out of defending a challenged book (when that time comes).
Sandra, It's freaky how I immediately thought of challenged materials too, when reading this article and how our emotions/feelings/moods impact us in respect to decisions we will make on those types of materials. As human beings, I feel it is an innate quality that we possess and apply without even thinking about it. It is important in our upcoming profession to learn to create a well balanced separation between the two in order to help us make unbiased decisions, to the best of our abilities.
I am not currently working as a librarian, but I imagine it is hard to always leave emotions out of the decision making process when it comes to collection development. After reading Quinn’s article, I feel that the 2 topics that would most affect me emotionally would be limited funds, making time to get rid of outdated/unused materials, and defending a challenged material I felt should be included in my collection. On page 5, Quinn writes, “Decisions about whether to add new titles or to cancel existing ones are often complicated and stressful because they involve the commitment or redistribution of limited funds.” I feel that limited funds would definitely be a frustration for me when collecting needed materials for my library. However, a collection assessment and collaborating with teachers would help me to use my funds wisely, thus relieving that stress. As far as weeding, I would have to make myself do a little each week to stay up to date on this task! Weeding seems stressful, especially for an extreme procrastinator like myself.
Great point Megan! I was thinking more along the lines of emotions/feelings/moods that we would bring to the table with us, kinda like our baggage that would interfere with our decision making in our jobs. You make a very interesting point as far as emotions/feelings/moods that may arise during the job as far as certain stressors are concerned. I agree that these factors that you mentioned like limited funds, weeding, and challenged materials will also play a part in our decision making in our jobs because they can and will affect us emotionally. What scares me is that add all of this to our emotions/feelings/moods that we will bring with us to work as well, and we have our work cut out for us. Thank you for allowing me to see this perspective.
In my opinion, I think that being that we are complex human beings, we innately use all of the above in order to make our day to day decisions. I have to be honest and say that I actually started wresting with this issue when we began learning about our policies like the Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and challenged/controversial materials. The one thing that stood out to me as we were learning about the policies/laws is that we must try to not let emotion interfere when we are selecting materials for our collection. Like I said, I began wrestling with this fact, at the beginning of this course due to the fact that I am a person who tries to avoid as much drama and conflict in my life, and when thinking about controversial material being in my library I immediately get very paranoid and want to try and avoid housing any material that may bring about such a reaction. I now understand that no matter how much thought and research you may put into a collection, there will always be some type of material that some people may not agree with. Plus I also now that it is my duty to uphold these policies. When thinking about what the article said as far as how our mood ties in with emotion and also effects our decisions, I couldn’t help to think- Oh boy, I better always be in a good mood..lol…Really, in all seriousness, I think that again, going back to the fact that we are human beings, our cognitive reasoning is directly linked and affected by our emotions/feelings. Trying to learn to create a balance between the two when making critical decisions in our profession will be the true test to a great collection developer.
I just wanted to sum up and thank you all for your thoughtful responses. When I read this article, my first instinct was that I will have a hard time separating my feelings and moods from the cognitive side of collection development. It's nice to see that we are all in the same boat. I think it's just the nature of the profession we are going into.
I also wanted to say that I have genuinely enjoyed interacting with you all through these blog posts this year.
Mandy Parker
ReplyDeletemds018@shsu.edu
I'd like this week. Head and Heart-sounds perfect. :)
Mandy,would you like to double-up on this assignment?
ReplyDeleteJacqueline Hunt
jachunt12@hotmail.com
Discussion guidelines: Make an initial post answering the question. Then, over the course of the week, comment on the posts of two different classmates.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: This week’s discussion topic references something that I personally feel is hard to distinguish sometimes: separating logic from emotion. This is a subject that has been of interest as far back as the time of Plato and Aristotle. The prevailing thought is “reason was the higher of the two functions” (Quinn, p. 7). Envision you are a librarian: do you agree that collection development is a cognitive or logical activity, or does emotion have a part? Explain why or why not. Feel free to chat with your library mentor to get another perspective :)
Mandy Parker
Based on our discussions thus far, it seems that we are all effected by our emotions when making decisions about our collections. However, we all try to overcome our emotions when they are getting in the way of what we know we need to be doing. It is part of our human nature to use our emotions in daily decisions, but as we have previously discussed, it can hold us back from reaching our mission in providing a wealth of literature and information to all who desire to learn. This is why we often try to reason with ourselves that logic is the best way to approach our collection.
ReplyDeleteFor example: in weeding our collections we all had a difficult time with the thought of destroying books that were no longer deemed worthy of our library. But it was an imperative process, so we overcame our emotional attachment impulses and completed the task.
There are however, times when our emotions are a needed aspect of our collection development. When we are faced with situations where we have to defend literature and students access to specific topics that are often purposely overlooked and neglected, we have to incorporate emotion behind our logical arguments to make a strong stance. Logic in itself is not enough to sway the populous, however when there is an emotional drive behind it, others comprehend and relate much more strongly.
I couldn't agree more. I love that you said that having an emotional drive behind the logic would cause others to relate and comprehend more strongly. That sentiment is so right, in my opinion.
DeleteThank you Mandy! :)
DeleteJasmine,
DeleteI love your example! I felt the same way about weeding at first, but now I understand the importance of doing so. I agree with your statement, "Logic in itself is not enough to sway the populous, however when there is an emotional drive behind it..." Very well said!
Jamine, I completely agree on both your points. First, it is so important to not let our emotions take over when it comes to weeding to material. Is it difficult? Most definitely it is. However, we must use our logic and realize the importance of weeding. If we don’t weed, we will be doing everyone involved a disservice. When we weed, we’re able to expose our students to more updated and applicable books. Now, I feel I am pretty even keeled on most things. However, about a month ago at our spring book fair, while my head librarian was at a meeting and I was left in charge, I overheard a parent complaining about some books. She was saying that the covers and titles were totally inappropriate for her younger elementary aged children. She went on to say something to the effect that we are running a secular book fair at a Catholic School. I walked over, tried to talk to her, and reminded her that we also had middle school students. I also told her how we are open after church services, which could include older students as well. That did no good. I then went back to my register and immediately looked up the books and they were all perfectly harmless books. She eventually took her complaint to the head pastor/priest, principal, and then the head librarian. While my head librarian talked to her on the phone a week later, she totally admitted that she was judging the book by its cover and not by its content. HOW IGNORANT AND FRUSTRATING!! UGH!
DeleteThe article begins with the idea that selection practice is only a cognitive process and that a computer could actually select materials for a library. But according to some research experiments, “emotions steer cognitive activity in particular directions.” An individual’s emotions and moods do contribute to the decision making process. Moods can effect selection of materials in either positive or negative ways. I definitely can see how the frustration with budgets, time, and policy restraints can negatively influence the selection practice. The same is true with positive conditions influencing the selection process in a positive way. Being aware of this psychological aspect will be beneficial in the selection practice and making an effort for it to not influence decisions in a negative way. I personally do think there is both logic and emotions in collection development. Being human, it is hard not to have emotions come into play with decisions, therefore influencing collection development within the library.
ReplyDeleteAmy, You have stated with much more eloquence exactly what I was trying to convey.
DeleteI agree totally, it is hard not to have emotions meddle with the decisions that we make. Often times I have to suppress my emotions to make a decision I know I'm not happy with at work but is the best option for my students. It's going to be very interesting to see how that plays out with developing a collection.
DeleteI agree. I just don't get how you can separate the logic and the emotion. Keeping things in perspectives is so important.
DeleteAmy,
DeleteExcellent ideas!
I totally agree, how exactly do we ignore what our emotions are telling us? We must keep our patrons needs in mind first and foremost.
Definitely, our emotions play a part. What I worry about, personally, is emotions getting in the way of logic. Like everything else, balance is key.
ReplyDeleteAs a working librarian, I have reflected quite a bit on this topic. I have looked at my past selection successes and failures. I feel my emotions are always apart of this process in some way. It is sometimes hard to separate the logic and emotion. At the core of being a librarian is the ability to form relationships with your community. That weighs more heavily (for me) on the emotional side of things than logical. I carry that with me when I’m looking at resources to purchase, and I get excited when I find something I know my community wants and I love that positive feeling that comes with it. The article spoke of two types of emotions one feels when selecting: Immediate emotions and expected emotions. They can either be positive or negative. I have experienced both. When I find a resource a community member has been looking for, it is an immediate boost to my mood and maybe makes me a little more relaxed in my selection. If I find a resource for that student I’ve been trying to find their reading “hook”, I have an expected emotion of getting a positive response, even if logically, it may not fit my entire community. I know from the logical aspect, there is a straightforward process one must adhere to when looking at and evaluating resources. But, the emotions are always lying beneath the surface. If I didn’t really convey myself in the blog post, check out this YouTube video from Epic Reads. This is how I feel sometimes when purchasing books.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/hGRYfqZMdEQ
Lana, the idea of immediate emotions and expected emotions is something I would not have thought of. It makes perfect sense in context, and I bet it feels amazing when the emotions are positive. :)
DeleteExpected motions interest me. We know how we're going to feel about a certain topic/subject, yet we delve into them despite what we feel. And I agree with you, usually it can be positive or negative. It'll be interesting to see how I behave when I do have the responsibility of maintaining a collection.
DeleteLana, I couldn’t agree more that it is very hard to separate emotions and logic when dealing with Collection and Development. I too feel that emotions usually play in some sort of fashion. I also like how you mention that you try to remember your students when making selections. I feel this action is a more emotional process than logical.
DeleteLana - LOVE the video - my exact problem every time I get in a bookstore! This is a good one too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzG1NSv64Do - this is what happens when we let our emotions take over instead of using at least a little of the logic we all have!! :):) Thanks for your insights into what it is like in a library, I know that a lot of what I think now will change when I am faced with the realities of being a librarian!
DeleteI felt that I would be torn by this question at first. I consider myself to be a highly logical person (I mean I read the question first to prepare myself for reading the article) in my personal and professional work life. However, as I read the article I couldn't believe how much I started recognizing how emotion played such a key role in all of the things that I did. Brian Quinn at one point writes about how sometimes people often choose the more expensive book because they believe that the more expensive the book is the higher quality it will be. This immediately took me back to my high school days at Borders Book Store (I know right?) where I was purchasing books with my mother and she encouraged me to pick the cheaper paper back as opposed to the expensive hardcover which I thought was better. Ultimately (as is always the case) I lost my argument with my mother and got the paper back. Years later after much experience and the fact that I make my own money now, I found myself buying paperbacks because they were cheaper and just as good. Where did that come from? Most likely because I was paying for my books now and my emotions tell me, "Hey, we worked for that money, get the 7.99 book you goon", and I always listen to that voice. Why? Because whether we like it we not, we need our money and the less we have of it the less happy we are whenever we do need it. These types of decisions are related to emotions just as they are as logic. So what does this mean for our collections?
ReplyDeleteI feel that our emotions do play a role in the books that we select; in that we may pick something that is totally wrong for our collection; or influx our collection with materials we may not necessarily deem fit but because of over thinking we include them anyways to "overcorrect" ourselves and our thoughts. We are after all human, and it only makes sense that the way we feel will impact what we purchase and why. I look at my own collection at home in my living room and already can see the moments when I bought certain books and think, “Oh I bought that when dad died and I wanted to get this out of it” or “I remember that book, so and so really ticked me off and I got it to prove them wrong” or the many “I had money and this looked interesting” followed by the vast “it really was” or “wasn’t”s. While I know logic and reason must always be the way we choose books, we still have to be aware of what we’re feeling and why when collecting resources for our libraries.
James, we must have the same voice in our heads because mine always says to get the cheaper paperback too. :) Seriously though, I think the very fact that we are studying library science shows that we have an emotional attachment to books as a whole, and the emotions they conjure will effect how we collect for our libraries. I don't think emotions are a bad thing. I may think differently when I have to weed books that I have an attachment to, however.
DeleteJames, you are on point when you say that we must be aware of what we're feeling and why when collecting resources. If your emotions get too out of control, it can cause you to make errors in selection.
DeleteI had never stopped to realize how much our emotions are connected to the choices we make in life. After reading “Cognitive and Affective Processes in Collection Development” by Brian Quinn, I believe collection development involves both cognitive choice along with an influence of one’s emotions. I’m not in a library at this time, but I know if I were given an opportunity to add materials to the library’s collection I would have to determine whether or not that particular title would better the collection. I never stopped to think my mood would influence my choice on whether or not I should purchase the selection in question. I know several people can be influenced by positive or negative reviews, but I never thought one’s mood would impact a purchase for the collection. One thought comes to mind, if you wake up on the wrong side of the bed it is likely that your frame of mind will impact the rest of your day. If you are negative, you will see everything around you in a negative way. On a similar note, if your mindset is a positive one, it is very likely that aura will follow you the entire day. I now see the direct connection to one’s emotion and having an influence on whether or not to purchase a particular title based on the emotions one has been experiencing throughout that particular day. I agree with the statement by Quinn, “In addition to thinking or cognition, emotion or affect is also involved” (p.7). Overall, I believe collection management ties logical choice along with an influence of emotions to drive our choices to expand the library’s collection. As a future librarian, I will always keep in mind the needs of my patron’s when making additions to the library’s collection.
DeleteAt times it is very hard to distinguish logic and emotion. As librarians working on collection development, I feel it is very important that we use both. Logic is so very important because we have so many things to take into consideration. This includes many things including our clientele, our budget, our current collection, book reviews, and much more. We have to make sure that our clientele is serve the best way we can and that is when the lines get blurry. There have been a handful of times in which students have asked if we have certain titles. If we don’t have the title, I am usually quick to say we can look into getting it for you. This is especially the case when it comes to reluctant to check-out, middle schoolers. I learned a valuable lesson about that earlier this year. There was a 7th grader asking about a certain series of books. I was anxious to please her, so I used the line I already mentioned. However, as I checked out the reviews I realized it was way too high of a level for us to carry the series. My head librarian then explained to me her reasoning of being nonchalant when it comes to get certain titles for students. I feel as librarians we should be logical in all situations. However, we cannot forget to use our emotions when appropriate.
ReplyDeleteCristofer - I understand exactly how you feel when you want to tell a child you will do your best to get the book they are interested in reading, especially if they are a struggling or reluctant reader! It is really too bad that that the series is out of reach. What grade does your school go up to? Maybe you guys could order just one of the books - the first one - to get the kids to try it and then they can go to the public library - or actually do you guys have something set up with the public library so that the kids can reserve a book or have a book delivered to them at school from the public library? Maybe you guys could do some kind of field trip to the public library so the kids can find some of the books you guys can't get. Just a thought! :):)
DeleteI wondered about that myself: why not try one title? What would it hurt? Logic says the reading level was too high, but maybe emotion said it was worth the gamble because it could be the turning point for the reluctant reader.
DeleteCristofer,
DeleteI know it must be hard to turn down a student that is interested in a book not available to them in their own school library. My librarian also stated that she hasn't invested as much on those types of reads due to the some of the content. I feel that she should have a few for those students who are ready, after all they will be in junior high the following year.
Some of my 5th graders are ready for some YA reads. So, I've brought some of my son's YA series to share with those that are interested. Others have gone to Barnes and Noble or our local library to acquire these reads.
I agree, as librarians we should be logical in all situations.
In my opinion if you are not using your emotions at all in your selection process there is something wrong. Emotion should never be the only thing guiding you but without it we might as well have an app telling us what books to choose based on the numbers. I’m sure that it wouldn’t be too hard to find one that has already been written or have one written using our exact specifications. The only thing separating the computers and us is the fact that we have emotions and intuition. Computers are better than we are when it comes to sorting and classifying facts and choosing the best of something if we are strictly basing that choice on measurable criteria. As I was reading this week’s article I kept waiting for them to say – “Well, that is what the researchers say, but since we want people as librarians instead of computers….” But that never happened. So, probably because I was not in a happy mood to being with and I don’t want to over compensate for being in a bad mood I am just sticking with my initial reaction to the article – Wow, why do you need me if we aren’t supposed to allow emotions into our decision making? I’m pretty sure that I do a fairly good job of taking all parts of the data into consideration when making decisions at school, but if all things are equal with the statistics then it is up to “my emotions/mood” to decide which book a child might be more interested in reading – the one with the cool pictures that really gets you in a good mood or the one with the black and white illustrations that show the information just as well but don’t create that sense of wonder and excitement. To me reading is emotional and so emotions should always have some part in our decision-making.
ReplyDeleteI was glad to finally come to this statement at the end of Quinn’s article – “The psychological evidence regarding the various ways that affect can influence cognition in decision making argues for a more self-aware, introspective approach to selection—one in which a selector’s mood states and emotions are potentially of great importance and should be afforded greater weight in the overall process of selection.”
Michelle,
DeleteI agree reading is emotional, and I am always drawn to those books with drama. Decisions we make in our everyday lives involve some sort of emotion with some logic in it -sometimes. I agree with Quinn that this makes for "a more self-aware, introspective approach to selection." If we use logic combined with emotion when making our selections, then our collections will be more well developed and thought out.
Michelle, you are so right. If we wanted a perfectly logical collection, a computer could put one together. Emotions are what makes us human, and give our collections a nuance that wouldn't be there if it were strictly logic based.
DeleteGreat point, Michelle!
DeleteIn his article, Quinn explores the selection process as a logical process, but can be impacted and influenced by our emotions and moods. I began thinking of my selections in general: purchasing a vehicle, choosing what to eat, what to wear, etc. My decisions did involve logical thinking, however my emotions did influence those decisions. I think most of us can relate.
ReplyDeleteRewind to Cristofer’s and Michelle’s week 4 Blog discussions on “Challenged Books.” After viewing the contents of this book, how many of us remained impartial? Did we let our emotions kick in? I know mine did, but I know now as librarians, we must remain impartial and consider our patrons when building our collections. Quinn states, “A selector needs to be aware of what the library already owns…and whether further material is needed.” This process would be considered a cognitive decision. However, experiments by psychologists have proven that “decision-making is not exclusively a cognitive process, emotions do play a significant role and can have a positive or negative impact on our collections.
I agree that we do need to develop collection from a logical standpoint, however, as humans we all experience some type of emotion on a day to day basis-whether good or bad. As librarians, we need to be “more aware of our moods and take these into account,” and use them when making our selections. If we balance the two, we are more prone to make decisions that are less biased and well thought-out.
I love that you brought us back to week 4. I know I was not impartial, and I know this is what is going to trip me up when I am a librarian. Mood and emotions have a part of everything we do as humans, but it is important to learn when to make our emotions take a back seat.
DeleteGreat point! I really like your example of how we use logical thinking and emotions in our everyday decisions. I know it will be a struggle for me to leave my emotions out of defending a challenged book (when that time comes).
DeleteSandra, It's freaky how I immediately thought of challenged materials too, when reading this article and how our emotions/feelings/moods impact us in respect to decisions we will make on those types of materials. As human beings, I feel it is an innate quality that we possess and apply without even thinking about it. It is important in our upcoming profession to learn to create a well balanced separation between the two in order to help us make unbiased decisions, to the best of our abilities.
DeleteI am not currently working as a librarian, but I imagine it is hard to always leave emotions out of the decision making process when it comes to collection development. After reading Quinn’s article, I feel that the 2 topics that would most affect me emotionally would be limited funds, making time to get rid of outdated/unused materials, and defending a challenged material I felt should be included in my collection. On page 5, Quinn writes, “Decisions about whether to add new titles or to cancel existing ones are often complicated and stressful because they involve the commitment or redistribution of limited funds.” I feel that limited funds would definitely be a frustration for me when collecting needed materials for my library. However, a collection assessment and collaborating with teachers would help me to use my funds wisely, thus relieving that stress. As far as weeding, I would have to make myself do a little each week to stay up to date on this task! Weeding seems stressful, especially for an extreme procrastinator like myself.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Megan! I was thinking more along the lines of emotions/feelings/moods that we would bring to the table with us, kinda like our baggage that would interfere with our decision making in our jobs. You make a very interesting point as far as emotions/feelings/moods that may arise during the job as far as certain stressors are concerned. I agree that these factors that you mentioned like limited funds, weeding, and challenged materials will also play a part in our decision making in our jobs because they can and will affect us emotionally. What scares me is that add all of this to our emotions/feelings/moods that we will bring with us to work as well, and we have our work cut out for us. Thank you for allowing me to see this perspective.
Delete-Yilsa DLS
In my opinion, I think that being that we are complex human beings, we innately use all of the above in order to make our day to day decisions. I have to be honest and say that I actually started wresting with this issue when we began learning about our policies like the Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and challenged/controversial materials. The one thing that stood out to me as we were learning about the policies/laws is that we must try to not let emotion interfere when we are selecting materials for our collection. Like I said, I began wrestling with this fact, at the beginning of this course due to the fact that I am a person who tries to avoid as much drama and conflict in my life, and when thinking about controversial material being in my library I immediately get very paranoid and want to try and avoid housing any material that may bring about such a reaction. I now understand that no matter how much thought and research you may put into a collection, there will always be some type of material that some people may not agree with. Plus I also now that it is my duty to uphold these policies. When thinking about what the article said as far as how our mood ties in with emotion and also effects our decisions, I couldn’t help to think- Oh boy, I better always be in a good mood..lol…Really, in all seriousness, I think that again, going back to the fact that we are human beings, our cognitive reasoning is directly linked and affected by our emotions/feelings. Trying to learn to create a balance between the two when making critical decisions in our profession will be the true test to a great collection developer.
ReplyDelete-Yilsa DLS
Finding balance is critical, and I am so glad you said that. I hope that is something that comes more easily as we progress.
DeleteI just wanted to sum up and thank you all for your thoughtful responses. When I read this article, my first instinct was that I will have a hard time separating my feelings and moods from the cognitive side of collection development. It's nice to see that we are all in the same boat. I think it's just the nature of the profession we are going into.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say that I have genuinely enjoyed interacting with you all through these blog posts this year.