Abstract：A Library of FragmentsDigital QuotationsNew Literaciesand Attention on Social Media From tweets to GIFs to memessocial media is awash in bite-sized texts that are perfect for quickinstantaneous consumption and viral sharingMixed up in the raucous frenzy of social mediahoweverare excerpts that originate from print mediaquotations from novelistspoetsphilosophersand other authorsThe bookfar from extincthas nevertheless becomefragmentedcirculating in new ways on digital networksThis study examines the phenomenon of quotationsespecially those from bookson the social network TumblrIts fundamental question is whether the fragmentation of the book represents a threat to traditional forms of attentiveimmersive engagement with long-form textsThe study reports on three research phaseseach with distinct methods and dataThe first phaserelying on qualitative and quantitative discourse analysisexamined the role of books and traditionally print-based discourses within the context of TumblrThe second employed ethnographic data techniquesquestionnaires and interviewsto uncover Tumblr userspurposes for sharing quotes from books as well as the ways that quoting connects to these usersbroader experiences of literacyThe third phase used computational linguistics to distinguish between different types of quotations and to illuminate the features that contribute toquotabilityThis study finds that quotation can bethough is not alwaysintertwined with traditional forms of reading and literate attentionChapter 3 demonstrates that the quoting of books in particular is a fundamental part of the larger practice of quoting on Tumblrit further illustrates some of the wide variety of quotations that circulate on this networkfrom misquotations attributed to famous authors to those quotes that are carefully annotated with bibliographic informationscholarly vocabularyand other signs of deep familiarity with source textsChapter 4 reveals thatfor those who quote from books on Tumblrquoting is often not a form of distractionrather it can deepen their experience of reading and lead them to discover new booksYet quoting also serves more fundamental purposes of self-expression and self-carefunctions that may be related to the fact that quoting is a starkly genderedlargely femalepracticeChapter 5 suggests thatwhile many quotations are indeed designed to be easily-decontextualized adagesothers are specifically tailored to fulfill quotersdesires to express their intimate thoughts and feelingsSome quotes seem to be tailored to be appreciated by those with deep familiarity with the source textthough such quotations are less popular than easily-decontextualized onesThe fragmentation of the book does not fundamentally threaten traditional forms of readingthough the very purposes of reading are increasingly bound up with self-expression and self-care made possible through social mediaThe conclusion chapter considers the ramifications of these findings for media studiesthe history of the bookand educational practiceRetrieval and IndexingQuote and sharing citations on platforms like Tumblr can be regarded as an index methodwhere specific excerpts or fragments are highlighted and searched from booksThis may inspire the new indexing methods in the librarywhich is the main method of visiting and understanding booksCollection ClassificationAnalysis of the popularity and type of citations shared can provide insights on readerspreferenceswhich can further inform the library how to classify and promote certain collections or specific booksConsulting ServiceIn-depth knowledge of user preferences and reading habits obtained from research can be used to improve library consulting servicesFor exampleknowing that users quoting books for self-expression and self-care can guide libraries to recommend books that meet these needsThe third stage of this study uses computing linguistics to distinguish different types of citations and clarify the characteristics ofreferenceabilityCalculating linguistics belongs to the category of natural language processingNLPwhich use algorithms and models to understandinterpretand generate human language with meaning and use