Language, Professional Culture, and Self-Depiction in Government Documents Librarianship

Abstract

This article studies how government documents librarians describe their field within scholarly publications. Treating published works as primary source texts, it examines language, themes, and self-depiction within academic publications authored by documents librarians, arguing that a qualitative analysis provides insights into the professional culture of the field. The article further posits that the language used and ideas expressed by documents librarians in their writings reflect, reinforce, and shape attitudes and practices within the field. The study concludes that the rhetoric, language, and themes in the writings of documents librarians shape perceptions of the discipline, both positive and negative, among other librarians and the public. Examining how documents librarians define themselves and their field may produce a nuanced understanding of the professional culture in this area of librarianship.