LIABRARIAN
This I Believe
Of the Ohio Library Council’s (2019) foundational core competencies for public libraries, the ones that speak most to my practice as a public librarian are “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” and “Intellectual Freedom.” Both of these competencies emphasize the importance of information being equally accessible to every person and every point of view.
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I believe that every person has a library within them, holding a vast collection of information acquired throughout a lifetime, and that professional librarians can connect their patrons with tools to help develop, weed, and curate those individualized “collections.” Within my own internal library, I have often accessed and relooked at information pertaining to the birth of my youngest sister when I was five. My sister was suffocated in the birthing process, leaving her unable to talk in sentences or walk. Having a sibling with a profound disability has significantly influenced how I interact with people, including library patrons. With patrons, I make it a practice to withhold assumptions about their backgrounds, abilities, and needs. This practice strengthens my capacity to interact equitably and fairly.
When thinking about how much information individuals hold within themselves–genetic data, data observed, facts, stories, experiences, memories, and more–it becomes clear that no two people share the exact same point of view. The concept of Intellectual Freedom recognizes that every person has the right to be the curator of their own internal library. For these libraries to reach their full potential, credible information in many forms must be accessible to all. Committing to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as librarians is a step toward ensuring that every individual is equipped and empowered to develop, weed, and curate their personal "collections" with quality information that resonates with them. This I believe.
References
Ohio Library Council. (2019). Ohio public library core competencies. OLC Core Competencies.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: “The commitment to interact appropriately, fairly, and equitably with all; the ability to demonstrate and foster respect for all individuals and points of view; the understanding and proactive reduction of barriers to library use” (Ohio Library Council, 2019, p. 8).
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Intellectual Freedom: “The understanding and support of the library's role in providing free and equal access to ideas, information, resources, and services, from all points of view, without restriction, to every individual” (Ohio Library Council, 2019, p. 8).
ABIDE Statement
Accessibility
Belonging
Inclusion
Diversity
Equity
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To abide is to commit to live by a guiding force or principal, even when it is difficult to do so. As an information professional and as a human, I promise to have the principals of accessibility, belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity guide my decisions and actions.
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My ePortfolio is designed with a mosaic theme to represent my dedication to honoring diversity. I selected and arranged the pieces of the digital mosaic myself in Canva Pro, using images that I am licensed to create with and share publicly. Much like curating a library display, finding and organizing those pieces was a long and meditative experience, during which I reflected further on mosaics as a metaphor.
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I think of a public library like a mosaic. Mosaics bring together pieces of various shapes, sizes, colors, and materials to make a work of art. My goal as a public librarian is to ensure that we have a diverse representation of resources and programs that allow every patron to feel included and like they belong. The ever-evolving process of working toward this equal representation is an art, which, when developed seriously, can foster a space that represents the complex beauty of a community.