NCTIES2022

Who are libraries for? From the way we shelve the books to how we add them to our catalogs (and everything in between), traditional library systems were designed to support readers who know what resources they want, care about how the library is organized and who understand how to navigate existing search tools. But what about those readers who have no idea what book they want, or even that they want a book at all? What about those readers who don’t care how the library is organized and who will never, despite all of our best efforts, learn how to use the OPAC? In this session we will discuss the difference between searchability and discoverability and explore ways to disrupt traditional library practices and then rebuild them for the readers who need them most.