Pop Goes the Library
By Kathy Ishizuka -- School Library Journal, 2/1/2007
Using pop culture to make libraries better. While the idea might strike some traditionalists as oxymoronic, it is the very mission of “Pop Goes the Library.” Founded by Sophie Brookover (above right, in glasses), teen librarian at Camden County Library, in Voorhees, NJ, Pop is dedicated to tapping the power of TV, music, and movies and other media to ramp up library services. Selected by Library Journal as a 2006 “Mover & Shaker,” Brookover launched Pop as a solo project in April 2004. She signed on contributors in spring 2005, when she became an expectant mother—one who didn’t want her blog to go dormant while she was on maternity leave. A team of five presently mans the site. The contributors are Liz Burns (above left), John Klima, Melissa Rabey, and Susan Quinn, all public librarians. “[We] blog on any pop culture topic we can relate to libraries’ collections, services, visions, and policies,” says Brookover. “This lets us cover quite a lot of ground —we blog about everything from tech gadgets to the Oscars, NCAA sports to book awards.” Recent posts have covered the Nintendo Wii, magazines for tweens, and the demise of the O.C.
