Abstract

Building on research in critical library systems studies, Platform Power and Libraries traverses the divide between library, communication, and cultural policy research in the realm of platform studies. Organized through the model of what Nielsen and Ganter (2022) call “the five most important aspects of platform power” this book dissects the power dynamics inherently embedded to platforms that library practitioners and patrons must navigate. From information asymmetry to the power of making and breaking connections and beyond, this book brings light to the often overlooked and under explored power that platforms can hold in libraries.