On the importance of 'Spaciousness' in LIS: Meditations on the pandemic, place, and a post-Eurocentric future

Pyati, Ajit

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Description

Title

On the importance of 'Spaciousness' in LIS: Meditations on the pandemic, place, and a post-Eurocentric future

Author(s)

Pyati, Ajit

Issue Date

2022-10

Keyword(s)

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
• Library as place
• Spaciousness
• Contemplative studies
• Vāstu
• Education of information professionals
• Information service
• Sociocultural perspectives

Abstract

More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we consider how this context has affected the field of library and information science (LIS). While the pandemic's effects can seem endless, I focus specifically on the existential fear the pandemic has generated and its implications for our field. I link this existential fear particularly with our ability to share physical space together. To this end, we must reinvigorate concepts such as library as place. This paper shows how a contemplative focus in our profession can help in this regard. However, this contemplative focus needs to move beyond Eurocentrism to truly expand the narrative in our field. As such, I show how vāstu and its focus on inner 'spaciousness' can highlight new approaches to not just repair the damage wrought by neoliberalism and the pandemic, but to also find new ways to thrive both individually and collectively.

Series/Report Name or Number

Proceedings of the ALISE Annual Conference, 2022

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/118024

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21900/j.alise.2022.1037

Copyright and License Information

• Copyright 2022 Ajit Pyati
• This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).

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