A Library’s Story may change, but it never ends!
My library story starts with a love of reading that evolved into a love for learning. This passion followed me throughout my school years. I have always found libraries to be safe spaces that allowed me to explore and my early years growing up in a small town in Louisiana found me seeking experiences at my local library. The library provided a healthy space amid the challenges that often face growing children and these experiences nurtured my love for libraries till next I found myself working in my community college library as part of a work program. Throughout all these experiences, librarians at every one of these institutions saw something that caused them to call me to their vocation. I finally heard them and listened to my own heart. My intention in information science is based on a curiosity that developed during my undergraduate studies in nutrition.
I have always been interested in healthcare and libraries and my work usually reflects this, I view everything through a health-conscious lens. I am comfortable there, but I remain flexible and open to the challenges that accompany transformation. My healthy state is one that embraces the librarian’s ideal of learning, I thrive in an environment that facilitates learning, and I view literacy as a key to solving many problematic issues facing our global society. When we learn, we improve. I understand that change is a good, necessary, and undeniable part of life and imperative for all the layers of our world, individual, local, national, and global. I see learning and hyperlinked environments as solutions to many of the challenges that change brings to people all over the world. People learn and connect in our world’s hyperlinked environment using information communication technologies and the internet. These technologies are often keys that unlock the doors and facilitate learning and connections. The key is to use them in a balanced and healthy manner that facilitates our life experiences in healthy ways. When we connect with each other in healthy ways, we create healthy environments. This is arguably the most important function of libraries, equalizing access to tools in order to help the local and global community progress, a ripple of learning that reaches out into the world. Learning is a stable base on which to build relationships that transform our world and libraries are imperative to this process as they are sometimes the only option present to enable learning for underserved members in communities. Libraries facilitate healthy progression within our global community by using a balanced approach that utilizes collections, programs and services that reflect all levels of society.
“Librarianship is, in its very essence, an ethical activity embodying a value-rich approach to professional work with information”
International Federation of Libraries, 2016
A values-based approach to librarianship is in its essence based on a combination of all the ethics, guidelines and standards found in all professional association’s ethical ideals. In order to facilitate this on a global level, respect for the differences in individuals and communities is essential. While the scope seems challenging, information professionals possess an equally unique perspective and ability to enable an environment of sharing and by sharing the knowledge found in diverse cultural ideals, global communities can learn to respect the unique qualities within each one. The International Federation of Libraries furthers states it as a responsibility to individuals and society.
“In order to promote inclusion and eradicate discrimination, librarians and other information workers ensure that the right of accessing information is not denied and that equitable services are provided for everyone whatever their age, citizenship, political belief, physical or mental ability, gender identity, heritage, education, income, immigration and asylum-seeking status, marital status, origin, race, religion or sexual orientation”
International Federation of Libraries, 2016
Information professionals are spearheads on information sharing and access. They are at the forefront of participatory experiences that engender understanding. Libraries offer a haven allowing seekers to explore the unknown without fear. Information workers do this by using tools in a responsible manner, facilitating learning experiences and embracing the moral value of respect that embraces differences and cultivates understanding. This is the basis for good communication. This is how information professionals including myself challenge and enable progress of the global community of information seekers, by helping them communicate with the world of knowledge in a way that facilitates respect and understanding.
“For me. The heart of librarianship is learning. It’s a cyclical process of support, engagement, and discovery with deep roots in the concepts of service, access, and freedom to pursue interests of all kinds. No matter what type of institution, someone is gaining knowledge, finding information, or creating something new based on our facilitation. And in my opinion, the role of facilitator is best delivered with humanity and heart.”
Michael Stephens
My philosophy aligns well with this quote from Professor Stephens, and there are so many factors that influence how professionals achieve this objective of learning. One important way is to engender and empower respect. Information professionals enact the guidelines required of all professionals by utilizing the value of respect. It starts with self-respect which allows us to understand when and what we need in order to live and perform our jobs well. Our jobs also demand that we respect the boundaries of others, individuals, companies, and nations. This respect is manifest by understanding that all individuals have unique life experiences, perspectives, views, and needs. Our jobs require that we enable individual rights to access information needed for learning, understanding, growth, and health. We respect limits of known understanding and knowledge and seek answers by conducting research and creating participatory services. We use the newly gained knowledge to forge a path forward while also knowing the cycle will continue. A cycle that includes challenges that demand response and drive innovation in services, projects, and programs. I respectfully embrace these ideals and know they are an essential part of my future as an information professional. I respectfully acknowledge my ability to continually be transformed by my interactions with others and with knowledge itself.
References
Barefoot, R. (2018). change management. In S. Hirsch (Ed.), information services today (2nd ed.) (pp. 246-255). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield
Brightwell, C. (2018). Shine the light on new connections. Info 282 The Hyperlinked Library. [Blog post]. San Jose State University.
Dillon, Robin S. (2018). Respect, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/respect/#Con
IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and other information workers. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/11092
IMLS (2017). strengthening networks, sparking change: museums and libraries as community catalysts. Retrieved from https://www.imls.gov/publications/strengthening-networks-sparking-change-museums-and-libraries-community-catalysts
Stephens, M. (2019). Tame the web. [Weblog]. Retrieved from https://tametheweb.com/