Page 25 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2018 Vol. 43
P. 25
025
WU Jianzhong / Re-discussion of ten hot topics in the development of librarianship 025
trust the information they get, and 30% trust some information (Pew, 2016). Secondly, trust
in mainstream media is declining. According to the State of the News Media 2010 by Pew
Research Center, ten years ago 40% Americans believed news reports of mainstream newspapers
and television. The data has been declining in the past 10 years. Only 25% readers believe all
or the majority of the Wall Street Journal’s reports and 18% believe in New York Times (Yu,
2011). Thirdly, it is difficult for adolescents to tell true or false. American Stanford History of
Education Team had spent 18 months investigating 7,804 students in 12 states in the United
States and found that 80% of the students could not recognize true or false on information. The
investigation report put forward that it was necessary to cultivate students’ abilities to recognize
potential online dangers (ZUU, 2016). In January, 2017 IFLA called for libraries to play an
active role in promoting media literacy and fighting against fake news. It also introduced eight
steps to spot fake news: consider the source, read beyond, check the author, supporting sources,
check the date, is it a joke, check your biases and ask the experts. From January 15, 2017 to
February 3, 2017, IFLA initiated Wikipedia’s #1lib 1ref (One Librarian, One Reference) campaign
which encouraged librarians to add one more reference to Wikipedia to improve its quality. It
hopes that librarians can make use of their abilities to spot fake information to participate in
activities that can cultivate information and media literacies of users.
3 Space reconstruction
In the past libraries’ layout was designed to fit the workflow of printed materials and the main
function of reading room was circulation. At present the layout should be designed to fit libraries’
functions. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider space. The decline of libraries visitors, which is
the universal trend, contributes to space reconstruction. In China the phenomenon is not evident
and the number of visitors even increases in some places. That’s because digital reading is not
wide-spread and construction of new libraries attracts more visitors.
In September, 2016 New York City released the Mayer’s Management Report which revealed
New York public libraries’ performance indicators from Fiscal 2012 to Fiscal 2016. Statistics
demonstrated that the Queens Public Library (QPL) had 40% fewer new library card registrations
in Fiscal 2016 than in Fiscal 2015. QPL has been Top 1 in terms of circulation in the United
States. Decline in new library card registrations predicts decline in circulation. In New York Public
Library program sessions witnessed 17% growth and program attendance 19% growth in Fiscal
2016. From Fiscal 2015 to Fiscal 2016, children’s program attendance grew by 21%, young adult
program attendance by 20%, and adult program attendance by 14% (IFLA, 2017b). Thus, libraries
are no longer limited to books collecting and circulating. Utility patterns have changed. Circulation
which was the most important indicator of traditional libraries is giving way to program attendance
(de Blasio, 2016).
Space reconstruction not only creates communication space focusing on sharing by breaking