Postmodern acquisitions

Abstract

Libraries in general and acquisitions departments in particular are experiencing unprecedented demands for change both in the way they work and the information and materials they provide. Librarians have tended to greet the need for change with feelings of insecurity and visions of ongoing chaos. However, change, seen in a larger context, is typical of the postmodern condition and can also be seen as an unprecedented opportunity to revitalize and rehumanize our profession and our workplaces. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, librarians need to examine their assumptions about library service. Definitions and descriptions of postmodernism can aid in making this paradigm shift. Using writings on postmodernism and examples from ongoing changes in the Stanford University Libraries' Serials and Acquisitions Department, we show the way in which postmodernism decries our current state and assists us in using change to our advantage.