The ideologies that guide my professional philosophy are ones of trust, service, professionalism, diversity, equity of access, intellectual freedom, advocacy, preservation, social responsibility, lifelong learning, education, and democracy; these principles govern my behavior and practice as a librarian and information specialist.
My understanding of the professional role of the information specialist is the position of one who serves all populations in their practice of collecting, maintaining, retrieving, and persevering materials. I believe that the best practice for librarians and information specialists is to serve from a position of empathy; building trusting relationships with patrons, understanding the community's needs, providing materials, programs, and services that address those needs, and actively collaborating with community members.
Throughout the MLIS program, I have come to understand the great importance of knowing your library (its location, community, needs, etc.), involving the community, and providing the proper services, materials, and programs needed to serve all our community members. I have also come to understand the many problems libraries face in the profession from both my time in this program as well as my first-hand experience working in a public library that's located in a conservative district. From this experience, I have learned that advocacy is a library's best friend and that the community is active and willing to stand behind and support the library against the opinions of the powerful loud few. Continuing to live and work in the South will greatly impact my professional practice as many libraries here face challenges to diversity, equity of access, and inclusion of their programs, materials, and services provided for their marginalized populations; these libraries have to advocate for themselves and get creative with their solutions in continuing to serve all of their community members.
Over the next five years, I plan to further grow in this profession by continuing my education, research, and expanding my career. As I have many ideas for programs and services, I would love to further delve into new technologies, and provide new services and programs to our communities. I plan on re-making the manga library resource website from the Provision of Information Services section on my portfolio; to make it more extensive, provide more resources and tutorials, and be able to manage it and keep it updated for users. I also plan on further continuing my research on the marginalization that the LGBTQ+ community faces here in the South, by involving and speaking directly to this community. Additionally, as I continue to work at the library, I hope to provide more adult crafting-related programs as patrons seem to enjoy them, being able to learn a new skill and meet new people. As I continue my career, I am hopeful of becoming a cataloger, expanding my knowledge and experience by doing something I love.