Investigation #2 Site Survey: Actions and Practices

In my investigation site, the public library serves as a ground of cross-cultural communication. Different social situations allow different social actions among people. Of course, to perform the social actions, there are different social actors involved. From the upper hierarchical level, we have the librarian to be responsible for administrative works or patrol. Lower down, we accommodate different library users, e.g. Philippine and Indonesian domestic maids using free internet service, F.5and F.7 students revising for public examinations, kids and parents in children’s library, elderly in newspaper and periodical section etc. Down below this level, we also have the security guides to check the safety in library. And finally in the lowest level, we have the cleaning staff.

Normally, these people are performing different social actions with other people at the same time. However, they are also called as performing an action even they are acting out alone. This kind of action is particularly obvious to be observed in library because the quiet environment does not allow too much verbal exchange and people-in-action. Therefore, social actors will perform person-in-action on their own. For example, the “Searching book process” is one important social action performed by the actors from library users with the consequent social practices I found in the site.

To find a book, they will follow these steps:

1. Select which category they would like to borrow, books, media resources, electronic reference or children’s collection

2. Select one of the search options as title, author, subject, series, search terms

3. Click “Submit”

4. Read the brief records list –title, author, date

5. Find the available libraries

6. Note the call number, status (closed stack/on shelf)and location(adult lending library)

Usually, the actions of searching a book arise out of library users’ past experiences of using the catalogue and practicing books lending process. They do not largely act out of specific or conscious purpose. For example, they would not particularly testing themselves whether they have the knowledge to look into how the search engine works; rather, they know and do the action naturally in the course of this social interactions. They also normally have completely forgotten that when they acquired the knowledge of searching a book since they got more familiar with computer usage.

To enhance the series of actions easier and make the actions more different on library users, there are several discursive tools available. Under the first type, the “Technical tools”, we need the machine of a computer. Then we need the people, the library users who want to search a book, to perform. Next, the electronic text intangibly appeared in library catalogue requires users’ visual ability to read. Under the second type, the “Symbolic tools”, we need users’ knowledge of reading the instruction. We also need a network system, i.e. the search engine, to facilitate the steps running efficiently. Finally, the social identity labels are also important in order to tell readers which actions library itself and you, as library user, are involving.