Principles, Ethics, Values and History

SLO 1: Graduates will apply the core principles, ethics, values, and body of knowledge to questions in library and information science, according to their area of specialty.

Values, ethics, and principles are the foundation for the whole librarianship profession. They provide a framework for all library services, policies, content, and conduct. Understanding library history is also important as it provides context for how modern libraries function and a potential guide for libraries of the future. Prior to entering this program, my main library experience was visiting my local branch for programs and to check out items. I understood library values, ethics, principles, and history only in a general way. My three assignments reflect deeper dives into these vitally important topics.

Assignment 1 is an infographic showing some of the public libraries built with funds donated by steel baron and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. I picked this assignment because it is indicative of two things. First, it shows that I can create documents that are concise, interesting, and informative. This is important because I may need to make flyers or displays in the future. Second, including Carnegie underscores his importance in the history of public libraries even more than one hundred years after his donations. Prior to my Foundations of Library and Information Science class, I did not realize that many of these buildings are still used, and many are still funded via local taxes. Carnegie has his controversies, but it is still important to acknowledge his role in library history.

Assignment 2 is a literature review from my Foundations of Library and Information Science class in which the whole purpose is to understand library ethics, values, principles, and history. For this assignment, I wrote about equal access, a key ethical issue and core value for all librarians. Libraries should do all they can to promote it, so I examined whether public libraries help remove barriers to the equal access of information, focusing on both technological and non-technological barriers. This topic is important to librarianship because an increase in electronic resources improves access, but at the same time leaves out those without the skills or technology to take advantage. This assignment provided me with a good overview of equal access issues that I will deal with as a librarian.

Assignment 3 is the opening statement that I read during a class debate in my elective Intellectual Freedom and its Discontents class. Intellectual freedom is another vital library ethic and a perennial hot topic. The debate topic was whether the government should protect hate speech and my side argued in favor of the full protection of hate speech. It was a good exercise to not only research my side of the debate, but also the opposing side to be prepared for rebuttal and questions. A solid understanding of intellectual freedom is one of the most important skills I can bring to my library career.

When I applied for this program, I thought my love of reading, books, and libraries would be enough to get me through the program and into a career as a school librarian. Then I started taking classes and I realized there is a lot more to modern librarianship. One of those is a full and complete understanding of the foundations of the profession; I cannot be a good librarian unless and until I understand intellectual freedom, equal access, and library history. Intellectual freedom and equal access are ongoing issues that I will need to deal with in my future library work. Library history is important because I cannot help librarianship in the future unless I know where it has been.

An infographic showing some public libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie

Literature review about the role of public libraries in promoting equal access to information

Opening statement from a class debate arguing in favor of the full protection of hate speech. I collaborated on this statement with two other group members, but I read it during the debate.