Competency A

“Libraries are innately subversive institutions born of the radical notion that every single member of society deserves free, high-quality access to knowledge and culture.”

Dr. Matt Finch

Introduction

When I was a barista at Starbucks, the company would encourage us to promote the store as a third place for our customers. The third place is a location between work and home where people can come together as a community. While this works in theory, a business is unable to deliver this experience because they expect their customers to spend money. By contrast, the public library is able to function as a third place. It is one of the few areas in the United States where people can gather together without having to pay to stay. It provides shelter, light, electricity, internet, restrooms, water fountains, tables, and seating. Additionally, patrons have access to information, books, audiobooks, movies, music, and technology that can be used and checked out free of charge. Libraries can provide these services because they are financially supported and owned by the public. This means that they belong to everyone, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic status, native language, disability, or political affiliation. As a library aide and future librarian, it is my duty to welcome all and serve the community’s needs to the best of my ability. The information given below is my understanding of the foundational principles of public librarianship and why they are important.

In order to deliver upon that, I abide by the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association (2017):

I. We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.

II. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.

III. We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.

IV. We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders.

V. We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness, and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.

VI. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.

VII. We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.

VIII. We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.

Intellectual Freedom and Censorship

A strong democracy is dependent upon an educated populace that is able to make well-informed decisions about self-governance. Public libraries are an essential component to ensuring the free flow of information. The American Library Association (2017) defines intellectual freedom as “the right of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment” (para. 1). This founding principle is exercised in collection development, reference services, unfiltered internet access, giving space for patrons to exchange ideas and information, and challenging calls for censorship. In my INFO 266 class, Dr. Bodart (2019) emphasized that 20% of your library’s collection should consist of materials that you do not agree with in order to be truly representative of everyone’s opinions. Similarly, the information a librarian gathers to answer a reference question should be given in its entirety, and not edited nor selectively chosen to promote a personal viewpoint. Librarians’ ethics help them to make decisions about book challenges and whether or not to use internet filters. When a patron, politician, or institution demands a book’s removal from the collection, librarians use their collection development policy to evaluate whether or not the challenge meets its requirements for removal. If the demand for removal is an attempt at censorship, then the library can refuse and use this policy as a justification for their decision.

Privacy

Items that a patron checks out, what they view online, what they ask at the reference desk, what they use in the library, and the conversations they have are all confidential. The right to privacy protects an individual from scrutiny, judgment, ridicule, and persecution. It allows people to go about their business in the library without having to worry about what others might think of them. This principle also protects patrons from capitalist interests, e.g. when online publishers try to use people’s data for their business. As a library aide at the Daly City Public Library, I have protected patrons’ rights to privacy in numerous ways. When a parent asks what their child has checked out, I am not allowed to tell them unless the child gives me permission to do so or they have their child’s library card. The same applies to friends, spouses, and other family members. When a patron returns an item, it is also wiped from their record. The only way a patron can access their check-out history is if they deliberately agree to it being recorded within their online library account. Library staff is restricted from making amendments to a patron’s privacy settings. Furthermore, I am not allowed to help patrons fill out private documents nor handle their personal information even if they give me permission to do so. Although this is particularly frustrating for patrons that have trouble working with technology, patrons tend to be more understanding when I explain that these policies are in place to protect their privacy.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Over the course of our nation’s history, public libraries have not been equally available to all Americans. Prior to the U. S. Supreme Court decision on Brown v. Board of Education public libraries were segregated on the basis of race (Knott, 2015). However, the decision to desegregate did not translate to equity as libraries' adherence to political neutrality has done little to challenge systematic forms of racism. In addition, claims of supporting diversity appear lackluster when librarianship is predominantly made up of white (83%) women (81%) (Department for Professional Employees, 2020). Furthermore, librarians have also been discriminatory against immigrants, the homeless, the poor, and those that do not align with heteronormativity (Gehner, 2010; Robinson, 2016). The recent push to be more inclusive of diverse people and deliver equitable service is still a work in progress that has evolved unevenly across the country. Therefore, librarians must acknowledge the injustices our profession has wrought in order to correct them and move forward with integrity.

There is no way to please all people all the time. This is especially true with a population as varied as that of the United States. What librarians can do is abide by their principles and protect the rights of the people. However, we must not presume that we know what is best for everyone else. As librarians we have been wrong before, as have the laws we followed. The best way to prevent this is to continue listening to others’ complaints, challenges, and requests for change. Our profession will need to adapt as our democracy adapts, until we truly treat all humans equally.