Shelfie
Shelfie is a neologism from the English language, whose etymological meaning is: shelf + i.e. The suffix "ie" was added to the morpheme "shelf", resulting in the word - "Shelfie".
The word “Shelfie” emerged in 2014, as a lighthearted alternative to the better-known “selfie”, nominated as the word of the year.[1] The shelfie emerged on Instagram, with the first posts by internet users who preferred to show off their taste for objects such as books, cups, flowers, mugs, pens, diaries etc., instead of their visage.[2]
Internet users could choose to photograph and display their literary tastes through a curated collection of books. Instead of displaying ‘faces and expressions,’ and being accused of narcissism.[3] The shelfie photo represented literary choices or tastes that the person wished to communicate on Instagram or other social media.
No scientific research was found on the use of shelfies in distance education as a mechanism to create a social presence. Instead the idea has been popularized in library promotions [4] and contests which award prizes for the best shelfies.[5]
The mobile literacy project adopted the Shelfie as a mechanism for the construction of meaning making among fellow librarians.[6]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Selfie is Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year". The Guardian. 2013-11-19. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ Fallon, Claire (2014-07-24). "What's Your Book Shelfie Style?". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
- ↑ Freedland, Jonathan (2013-11-19). "The selfie's screaming narcissism masks an urge to connect". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ "Promote Your Library With A Shelfie Contest". Curtis Rogers Consulting, LLC. 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ "Take a #Shelfie and stand a chance to win a R500 Bookmark voucher! | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ "mLiteracy | Workshop | Social Publishing | Theme #2". mliteracy.mobi. Retrieved 2025-07-27.