My philosophy of librarianship is informed by experiences with people, education, readings and reflections. Its jubilant nature bubbles over in the areas of service, education, discovery and social dignity. While claiming that it was born in graduate school would be preferable, my philosophy began a long time ago. I have already shared many formative stories about my inclination to serve and educate the public. Here is a brief but poignant recollection about social dignity.
Before my middle child could drive, I spent eleven years driving him to soccer practices, camp, physical therapy, specialty training and games. Those years represent untold hours waiting. Often, my youngest child and I spent a portion of that time at whatever library was nearest. We explored them all, devouring their materials, ordering more; attending the programing. The library closest to the practice fields was in a decrepit part of town, but it was still in our lending district. We had spent uncountable hours there, checked out items and visited with staff. We were regulars. One of the librarians had a problem with us. For example, she asked my ten-year-old who is fluent in Mandarin, French and English, in a high pitched, sing-song, condescending way, “Little boy, can you speak English?” Another time, she asked him, “Can you read?” She accused us of not knowing how to play chess and tried to prohibit our use. She had shoe'd my son out of the chapter book section, followed us around, checked our bags upon arrival and departure, told us the puzzles were not for playing, and repeatedly singled us out for closing time warnings.
It occurred to me that she did not see us. We saw her several times a week, but she only saw a brown pre-teen boy and assumed he may not be able to read: Assumed he should be followed; his bag checked. Often, we came in after jogging or playing tennis. What did she see in our flush faces and sweaty work-out clothes? Maybe, people who did not have a clothes washer, or a working shower? My son noticed, for the first time that he was specifically not welcome.
The way this series of recurring experiences colored the social dignity portion of my philosophy is, it strengthened my conviction that policies about equal access are not enough. Librarians must possess values of equality. They must believe that all users belong in the library without being subject to pre-judgements, harassment and belittlement. From mentally challenged users to homeless or disruptive users, the assumption of their worth and dignity are first. Imagined theft or disruption are unacceptable assumptions.
This, along with years of experiences with economic and racial prejudice is how I came to understand how I could “contribute to the cultural, economic, educational and social well-being of our communities” (San Jose State University, 2017). I can work for the people: I can reflect their interests and encourage their pursuits without reservation. My enthusiasm for economic and cultural education are well evidenced by my references, work-products and experiences. I believe that giving users the support they ask for, and not what I assume they need, fosters social well-being and cultural expression. When the MLIS coursework and readings reinforced values of equality, dignity, education and service, I knew I had chosen the right path for my skills, beliefs and temperament.
My professional goals are humble. I do not dream of prestige or pay advances. I love to discover together. Whether through education, information literacy, public service or librarianship, discovery is exciting. As a Montessori teacher, I have taught preschoolers to read. I have taught elementary students to discover their artistic potential. I coached junior college students to get control of their finances, personal relationships, use of slang and their study habits by helping them discover their self-worth. As an activities department volunteer I helped wheelchair-bound folks to dance, enjoy the outdoors and socialize. I will use the library platform to continue discovering together. While my prior experiences center around education, I would like to work with the broader, more diverse population represented in public librarianship.
The competencies depicted in this electronic portfolio that support these goals most directly are: the foundational principles of librarianship in Competency A, Competency C, the evaluation and selection section of Competency F, and the entirety of competency I; service concepts and K; education. I will use these skills to reinforce why I discover, teach, serve and affirm my community. The technical skills extolled herein, such as cataloging, designing controlled vocabularies, building databases, using management concepts and technology describe how I will support my community.
References
San Jose State University. (2017). E-portfolio handbook. Retrieved from http://ischool.sjsu.edu/current-students/courses/289-e-portfolio-handbook/content-and-process/required-content