Cultural Competence, Humility, & Awareness

A public librarian's duty is to strive to reach all community members. Having cultural awareness entails an appreciation for all cultures and an openness to learning more. The Indian community in Los Angeles county has been undeserved, and should be recognized as forming an important part of Los Angeles culture. A crucial aspect of librarianship is having humility and reflecting on the library's collections, resources, programs and events to ensure that patrons of all backgrounds and demographics feel safe and welcome. Check out these videos exploring the importance of diverse and equitable collections and librarianship.

Embodying a cultural humility approach varies widely based on an individual’s identity, experience, and context. Depending on region, patron demographics will differ significantly, and as a staff member it is imperative to learn about the community being served and research any underserved communities. Additionally, patrons have a wide range of experiences with libraries and may have had a negative defining experience in the past that made them feel the library was not a welcoming space for them. Using cultural humility techniques (reflection, mindfulness, etc) as well as practical techniques such as empathy mapping and patron observation will help mitigate these preconceived ideas of the library and promote the library as a third space.