Genre Analysis on Technology’s Impact on Libraries
Crystal Mendez
UTEP
Introduction
Technology has taken over pretty much every corner of the world and has had a strong impact. Libraries are not an exception to this. Libraries are having to adjust and make changes in order to keep up with all the new technology. An example of how technology impacted libraries is the online article School Libraries from the American Library Association which discusses how technology and the increase use of the internet has caused librarian reductions and changes to connectivity, filtering, plagiarism and even student’s engagement. Another example of how technology has impacted libraries is the YouTube Video Libraries in the Internet Age by Common Craft which discusses how libraries are a source of information and how technology and the internet has increased its access. The two genres School Libraries and Libraries in the Internet Age analyzes how libraries are affected by technology and the role they play now.
Audience and Purpose
For the online article School Libraries its intended audience are mainly librarians who are concerned about changes and possibly even educators. The purpose of this article is to inform its audience through the use of facts and logic. The article provides the intended audience with information on how exactly technology is affecting them and libraries. It wants the reader to agree with what they are stating or just make them more conscious to their surroundings. The audience already knows that libraries have started to adjust with the new technology and increase use of internet. What they want to know is how exactly are libraries changing or having to adapt and how it affects them personally. For this genre the amount of time it takes is more or less 15 minutes. It depends how fast of a reader a person is and how easy is the information to comprehend which include graphs and charts. The language used in the article is formal. They don’t use any type of slang and try to keep it professional for its intended audience. As to specialized vocabulary that this article uses are words only people familiar with the process of how libraries work would understand such as “licensed databases” or “filtering” (School Libraries, 2013).
Meanwhile for the YouTube video Libraries in the Internet Age, the intended audience are students who do research for their school and use libraries as a source of information. The purpose of the information presented in this genre is to inform the audience on how technology improves the use of the library as an information source. The video attempts to persuade the viewer into agreeing with them or just make them more aware of how libraries are still useful with examples. The audience more than likely know what they can find at a library and just want to know just how helpful a library could be. The amount of time the audience will spend on this genre is two minutes with 39 seconds since that is how long the video is. The language being used is formal since no slang is being used in order to keep it appropriate for the intended audience. As for the specialized vocabulary being used in this video are words that only teacher, librarians, and people who are or once were students would have knowledge of. Some examples of the specialized vocabulary being used are “comprehensive websites” and “research databases” (Common Craft, 2015). The creator of the video might have used terms like these to get into specifics or bring more knowledge to his argument.
Similarities between both genres are that they are both informing the videos with logic pertaining to their subject. Both genres keep things formal for their intended audience. However, there are differences. The online article School Libraries provides more evidence towards the negative impact technology has on libraries while the YouTube video Libraries in the Internet Age keeps things on the positive side. Also, the video aims to entertain the audience more than the article.
Rhetorical Issues
For the online article School Libraries it uses ethos by establishing its credibility through the inclusion of the sources to the graphs and charts they utilize. An example of this being a chart that displays the decrease of librarians by 4.27% for the school year of 2010-2011 (School Libraries, 2013). They also gain credibility by including links within the article itself to other articles where they got information from and the fact that this article is from the American Library Association making it effective. Its use of pathos however is weak since the only emotions it evokes is a sense of reflection or comprehension, possibly even worry librarians. A sentence from the article that might worry librarians is, “The number of school librarians declined more than other school staff from 2007 to 2011” (School Libraries, 2013). The article use of logos to support its claims is strong. It uses statistics, graphs, and charts that make the source seem valid and reliable since it goes with the topic. One statistic that shows logos is, “In 2011, respondents to the School Libraries Count! Survey conducted by the American Association of School (AASL) reported an average of 193.4 school computers with access to library services, while in 2012, an average of 208.2 school computers were reported” (School Libraries, 2013).
For the YouTube video Libraries in the Internet Age its use of ethos is very weak. The only type of credibility attempt being used is their logos and provide their website which is not very effective. As for pathos the only emotions this genre is attempting to evoke from its audience is trying to get the viewer to reflect and understand just like the online article. When it comes to logos, the video provides examples the viewer can relate to in order to support it claims and make it more valid. When it comes to similarities towards rhetorical issues both genres don’t really have any besides the pathos. However, the main difference is that the online article has more evidence supporting its claims.
Structure and Delivery
In the online article the information is organized to convey its message by using different categories pertaining to the subject. It uses different colors for the font in the category titles to emphasize its main points. Purple and dark gray are used for labeling the different categories within the article while blue is used for data. The change in color font was more likely chosen to make the article more organized and make information easier to find. Other communication features it uses to get its message through is graphs and charts. The limitations placed on the information because of the genre is that since it’s an online article for what seems to be a respectable association is that it needs to keep it professional and appropriate. The structure facilitate its purpose by making it more accessible for its readers and makes it easy to find the exact information needed.
In the YouTube video the information is organized by visuals that demonstrate what is being talked about. The communication features it uses to contribute to the message is visuals, different colors, and different fonts. For example, if the video is discussing the databases a visual demonstrating exactly that will pop up. The creator probably chose this style to appeal more to students or just for the purpose that people obtain information differently. This form of genre has more freedom to express their message in an entertaining way. It makes it easier to capture the viewer’s attention.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can see how technology has been affecting every aspect of our daily lives, especially in libraries, through the genres School Libraries and Libraries in the Internet Age. Both genres explain how libraries are having to adjust. The genre that was more effective in conveying its message was the YouTube video Libraries in the Internet age. It was simple and effective. The video went straight to the point and didn’t make things any more complicated than they should be. However, the online article School Libraries was better at backing up its statements with evidence. This is why it’s important to research different genres in order to find which works best.
References
"School Libraries." American Library Association. American Library Association, 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
Libraries in the Internet Age. Common Craft, 2015. Film.
Crystal Mendez
UTEP
Introduction
Technology has taken over pretty much every corner of the world and has had a strong impact. Libraries are not an exception to this. Libraries are having to adjust and make changes in order to keep up with all the new technology. An example of how technology impacted libraries is the online article School Libraries from the American Library Association which discusses how technology and the increase use of the internet has caused librarian reductions and changes to connectivity, filtering, plagiarism and even student’s engagement. Another example of how technology has impacted libraries is the YouTube Video Libraries in the Internet Age by Common Craft which discusses how libraries are a source of information and how technology and the internet has increased its access. The two genres School Libraries and Libraries in the Internet Age analyzes how libraries are affected by technology and the role they play now.
Audience and Purpose
For the online article School Libraries its intended audience are mainly librarians who are concerned about changes and possibly even educators. The purpose of this article is to inform its audience through the use of facts and logic. The article provides the intended audience with information on how exactly technology is affecting them and libraries. It wants the reader to agree with what they are stating or just make them more conscious to their surroundings. The audience already knows that libraries have started to adjust with the new technology and increase use of internet. What they want to know is how exactly are libraries changing or having to adapt and how it affects them personally. For this genre the amount of time it takes is more or less 15 minutes. It depends how fast of a reader a person is and how easy is the information to comprehend which include graphs and charts. The language used in the article is formal. They don’t use any type of slang and try to keep it professional for its intended audience. As to specialized vocabulary that this article uses are words only people familiar with the process of how libraries work would understand such as “licensed databases” or “filtering” (School Libraries, 2013).
Meanwhile for the YouTube video Libraries in the Internet Age, the intended audience are students who do research for their school and use libraries as a source of information. The purpose of the information presented in this genre is to inform the audience on how technology improves the use of the library as an information source. The video attempts to persuade the viewer into agreeing with them or just make them more aware of how libraries are still useful with examples. The audience more than likely know what they can find at a library and just want to know just how helpful a library could be. The amount of time the audience will spend on this genre is two minutes with 39 seconds since that is how long the video is. The language being used is formal since no slang is being used in order to keep it appropriate for the intended audience. As for the specialized vocabulary being used in this video are words that only teacher, librarians, and people who are or once were students would have knowledge of. Some examples of the specialized vocabulary being used are “comprehensive websites” and “research databases” (Common Craft, 2015). The creator of the video might have used terms like these to get into specifics or bring more knowledge to his argument.
Similarities between both genres are that they are both informing the videos with logic pertaining to their subject. Both genres keep things formal for their intended audience. However, there are differences. The online article School Libraries provides more evidence towards the negative impact technology has on libraries while the YouTube video Libraries in the Internet Age keeps things on the positive side. Also, the video aims to entertain the audience more than the article.
Rhetorical Issues
For the online article School Libraries it uses ethos by establishing its credibility through the inclusion of the sources to the graphs and charts they utilize. An example of this being a chart that displays the decrease of librarians by 4.27% for the school year of 2010-2011 (School Libraries, 2013). They also gain credibility by including links within the article itself to other articles where they got information from and the fact that this article is from the American Library Association making it effective. Its use of pathos however is weak since the only emotions it evokes is a sense of reflection or comprehension, possibly even worry librarians. A sentence from the article that might worry librarians is, “The number of school librarians declined more than other school staff from 2007 to 2011” (School Libraries, 2013). The article use of logos to support its claims is strong. It uses statistics, graphs, and charts that make the source seem valid and reliable since it goes with the topic. One statistic that shows logos is, “In 2011, respondents to the School Libraries Count! Survey conducted by the American Association of School (AASL) reported an average of 193.4 school computers with access to library services, while in 2012, an average of 208.2 school computers were reported” (School Libraries, 2013).
For the YouTube video Libraries in the Internet Age its use of ethos is very weak. The only type of credibility attempt being used is their logos and provide their website which is not very effective. As for pathos the only emotions this genre is attempting to evoke from its audience is trying to get the viewer to reflect and understand just like the online article. When it comes to logos, the video provides examples the viewer can relate to in order to support it claims and make it more valid. When it comes to similarities towards rhetorical issues both genres don’t really have any besides the pathos. However, the main difference is that the online article has more evidence supporting its claims.
Structure and Delivery
In the online article the information is organized to convey its message by using different categories pertaining to the subject. It uses different colors for the font in the category titles to emphasize its main points. Purple and dark gray are used for labeling the different categories within the article while blue is used for data. The change in color font was more likely chosen to make the article more organized and make information easier to find. Other communication features it uses to get its message through is graphs and charts. The limitations placed on the information because of the genre is that since it’s an online article for what seems to be a respectable association is that it needs to keep it professional and appropriate. The structure facilitate its purpose by making it more accessible for its readers and makes it easy to find the exact information needed.
In the YouTube video the information is organized by visuals that demonstrate what is being talked about. The communication features it uses to contribute to the message is visuals, different colors, and different fonts. For example, if the video is discussing the databases a visual demonstrating exactly that will pop up. The creator probably chose this style to appeal more to students or just for the purpose that people obtain information differently. This form of genre has more freedom to express their message in an entertaining way. It makes it easier to capture the viewer’s attention.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can see how technology has been affecting every aspect of our daily lives, especially in libraries, through the genres School Libraries and Libraries in the Internet Age. Both genres explain how libraries are having to adjust. The genre that was more effective in conveying its message was the YouTube video Libraries in the Internet age. It was simple and effective. The video went straight to the point and didn’t make things any more complicated than they should be. However, the online article School Libraries was better at backing up its statements with evidence. This is why it’s important to research different genres in order to find which works best.
References
"School Libraries." American Library Association. American Library Association, 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
Libraries in the Internet Age. Common Craft, 2015. Film.