The baby has been delivered.
On Friday 8th January, I was able to submit my dissertation for the master's library science program at City, University London. At 112 pages and over 24,000 words, "Gift of the Gab" took me nine months to write. The research from this pandemic project gave me a locus of control over the darkest days of 2020.
I may seek to get it published first before displaying as an accessible document on my portfolio page. In the meantime, individual copies can be emailed to those who wish to read it privately and in good faith. Simply notify me with your email address and I'll send it along.
The abstract, or official summary, is below.
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Dissertation Title: Gift of the Gab: Exploring the Audiobook and the Festive Direction in the American Library
Abstract
The audiobook, in its modern form, was created in the 1930s to assist the blind community, World War I veterans and others unable to engage in Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). This dissertation investigates exactly how the audiobook and, to a lesser extent, the podcast have been received and celebrated by the world of library and information science (LIS). Original to this dissertation are the concepts of a festive direction and a clinical direction in LIS which have shaped the collections of the American library. This alternative history of library science also explores how the fractured development of Christianity played a surprising role in shaping audio literature.
Underpinning this research is a survey of how American public and membership libraries are leveraging the audiobook and the podcast in order to diversify their services. Other prosocial actions are assessed in the institutional quest to attract and maintain patronage. This research will benefit library managers and catalogers in the American library who are attempting to speak to new demographics.
Well done and good luck Thomas!!
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