Local Music Collectors in Cultural Heritage Organizations: Finding Joy through Occupational Devotion

Abstract

Local music collecting in cultural heritage organizations is a rich practice for the study of joy and information. This article examines the joyful and personally meaningful experiences of local music collectors, as drawn from interviews with twenty-two individuals at eighteen cultural heritage organizations conducted from 2018 to 2020. Collectors describe their work with local music collections to be personally meaningful, positive, and even joyful. For many, the positive affective experiences found through the blending of personal interests and professional projects is a key factor in their workplace well-being, motivation, and personal fulfillment. Collectors apply a community-engaged approach to their professional practice, finding self-fulfillment through their work and connection to the local music community. These findings are discussed within the context of the serious leisure perspective, and the pleasurable and the profound in library and information science research.