Often, when I tell people I am studying for a master’s degree in library science, they pointedly ask why I would want to enter a dying profession. They assume, incorrectly, that with computers, Google, and Wikipedia, librarians and libraries are on the way to extinction. I am pleased to let them know that with book bans, the unhoused seeking connectivity, self-publishing, and increasing exploration and interest in new media such as zines, libraries and librarians are needed more than ever.
My MLIS journey is aimed at becoming a standout youth services librarian. I began the ODU MLIS program in the summer of 2020 after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in visual arts focused on animation. My intention as a comic creator was to normalize diversity and inclusion in published stories. I developed a strong interest in youth services, probably because I made, published and marketed comic books targeted at the youth demographic that normalized people of diverse abilities in my stories.
There are two guiding principles driving my pursuit of a graduate degree in library and information service. First, I believe that in my lifetime there will always be a need to organize the world’s information to make it universally accessible and useful. Second, I believe that libraries exist to enable learning for all regardless of race, gender, ability or language capability. Every aspect of my journey as an artist and art entrepreneur involved embracing and absorbing new ideas, skills and techniques to reach different audiences. As a librarian in training, I know that I must do the same to effectively serve library patrons and meet community needs. Thus, my professional philosophy is captured in affirmations that reflect my own values and the core values and ethics of the ALA :
- I will strive to acknowledge others’ humanity via representation in books.
- I will strive to catalyze conditions favorable to normalizing diversity and inclusion in published stories, in library collections, and in the profession.
- I will strive to enable access to education and knowledge for all, regardless of age, race, gender, ability, or religion.
- I will vigorously resist efforts to censor library resources.
- I will approach librarianship with empathy and sensitivity to social justice issues and community needs.
These affirmations are grounded in the values and ethics of the ALA that have been the backdrop to my coursework in the ODU MLIS program. While all of the Core Values of Librarianship are important, as I move into the profession, the values I will most lean on are Access, Diversity, Social Responsibility, and Intellectual Freedom. These values were heightened throughout my coursework.
For many of my class projects, I focused on a regional library in Fairfax County, VA where my environmental scan of the community, diversity audit of the facility, and collection analysis highlighted that there was considerable room for improvement in serving large swathes of the community – specifically, immigrants, residents with limited English Language skills, and the working poor. Moreover, the collections left out disabled people, people of color, and other marginalized groups including children who could not see themselves in the collection.
For a User Services project titled Serving the Underserved, I developed proposals for engaging Chinese, Vietnamese, South Asian and Latine communities in library-led community programs to assist the working poor adults with limited English language skills to improve their employment prospects and quality of life.
The paired text guide for 9th graders was one of my most thoughtful work products. I chose texts with LGBTQ themes so that teachers and librarians might collaborate for the students’ and communities’ benefit— an endeavor that is heightened and meaningful in these fraught times of resistance to LGBTQ representation.
Through coursework, I became exposed to the work of Fobazi Ettarah and the concepts of “vocational awe” and “radical librarianship.” I also became aware of the dearth of diversity in the MLIS ranks of the profession.
In all of the aforementioned, I was guided by the ALA’s principles on meeting the physical and intellectual needs of all learners. I relied on the ALA’s guidance on Access and Diversity to formulate my positions and propose solutions. I will continue to rely on these as beacons. As I relied on the Code of Ethics to navigate a challenging assignment on Ethical Dilemmas. I expect to return to the code repeatedly as a reference point as I evolve in the profession.
The remarkable sweep of topics covered in great depth during my studies has been stunning. I keep having to pinch myself to make sure It was not a dream. Of course it was not a dream because I now have a vast new storehouse of knowledge, skills and experiences to prove it.
References
American Library Association, A. L. A. (2020, September 28). Core values of librarianship. Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/corevalues
American Library Association A. L. A. (2021, July 21). Professional ethics. Tools, Publications & Resources. https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics