Many people come into the library for many different purposes, but on this occasion, it was a meeting place for a social worker and a young boy. It was very apparent that it was not a good day for both. As the young boy walked by my desk, he noticed a paper airplane behind the desk and asked to hold it. With the hope of helping change the tone of the evening, I quickly retrieved a book about making paper airplanes and gave it to the social worker. Soon, laughter and paper airplanes were soaring above the stacks. As they were leaving, the boy turned to me and said, “that made me happy.” That was it, and I will never forget it—a simple meeting ingrained in me how important the library is to its people.I believe the library belongs to the community, and we are the ambassadors. As American Library Association states in their core values, we are to bring the “highest level of service to all library users” (2019, Service, para. 1). Bringing diverse people together to foster this community is also part of my passion. Along with diversity, a library collection should reflect and be a source of materials for all people without judgment (American Library Association, 2021, para. 3). It is of the utmost importance that the collection reflects the whole community.

We have an opportunity to model respect, kindness, and acceptance to all, and we must stand firm and lead in this endeavor. Thus, it is imperative that everyone feels welcomed in the library and, like that young boy, walks out saying that experience made me happy and I belong here. 

References:

American Library Association. (2019, January). Core Values of Librarianship. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/corevalues

American Library Association. (2021, October). Access to Library Resources and Services. Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/access