Philosophy
Growing up in a small town, unfortunately, my public library wasn't something I was all that familiar with visiting. My hometown library consisted of a small corner with a single bookshelf; the building also housed the city hall and the local jail. Locals donated books, so most of the time, the books consisted of the same theme or author with little to no diversity. So, saying the books didn't represent the community would be an understatement. In addition, the drive to my local public library was about twenty miles from my house, and living in a small town meant no public transportation. Therefore, the lack of accessibility to the library and also the lack of appropriate reading material made the library a poor choice. As a result, my library was missing two essential core values, accessibility and diversity, which I now realize are part of the building blocks of what makes up a great public library.
While taking the core classes for the MLIS(Masters in Library Science & Information) degree, I have developed a broader sense of what each of these core values represents. Through these core classes, I have realized that accessibility encompasses more areas than distance and can also mean a patron's ability to access library material, technology accessibility, and creating bib records for patrons, allowing easier search perimeters. For example, in the past, I realized that my hometown library didn't give patrons access to free computers or programs related to training. Today in most libraries, having an internet cafe or computer center is now part of a standard layout for a library. This type of resource has become critical because of the popularity of organizations making much of their information virtual. Patrons are relying on public libraries to not only supply this need for access to the internet but provide instructions for those ill-equipped to navigate the forms and sites. As the world depends more heavily on the internet for communication, sharing, and receiving information, the importance of broadband Internet access will grow. (Visser and Ball, 2010)
During my time in the graduate program, I also realized the importance of having a diversified collection representing your community. Creating a culturally diverse collection allows for a broader experience for everyone, especially children within their local library. As Bishop (1997) has pointed out, the availability of culturally diverse material can reflect the reader's experience or be a gateway for them to experience another culture. Either way, this type of experience can help to form the reader's opinion in a developmentally positive way. "Diverse, culturally authentic materials in library collections allow all children to meet people like themselves and develop an appreciation for the beauty of their culture and the cultures of others"(Naidoo, 2014). A wide array of diversified books helps to ensure a representation of your community within your library's collection. Additionally, through my time in the public sector, I have witnessed the need for better representation in diverse cultural books and the positive feedback from patrons when communities are provided with material that reflects their own culture in numerous ways.
The importance of these ideas, accessibility, and diversity will help influence my future professional decisions. Creating an atmosphere that is accessible to all and also represents a diverse population will ensure that I am working toward a positive goal for individuals that visit my library.
REFRENCES
Bishop, Rudine Sims. 1997. “Selecting Literature for a Multicultural Curriculum.” In Using Multiethnic Literature in the K–8 Classroom, edited by Violet Harris, 1–20. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.
Naidoo, J. (2014). In The importance of diversity in library programs and material collections for children. Chicago, IL; ALSC Assocation for Library Service to Children.
Visser, M., & Alice Ball, M. (2010). The Middle Mile: The Role of the Public Library in Ensuring Access to Broadband. Information Technology & Libraries, 29(4), 187–194.
While taking the core classes for the MLIS(Masters in Library Science & Information) degree, I have developed a broader sense of what each of these core values represents. Through these core classes, I have realized that accessibility encompasses more areas than distance and can also mean a patron's ability to access library material, technology accessibility, and creating bib records for patrons, allowing easier search perimeters. For example, in the past, I realized that my hometown library didn't give patrons access to free computers or programs related to training. Today in most libraries, having an internet cafe or computer center is now part of a standard layout for a library. This type of resource has become critical because of the popularity of organizations making much of their information virtual. Patrons are relying on public libraries to not only supply this need for access to the internet but provide instructions for those ill-equipped to navigate the forms and sites. As the world depends more heavily on the internet for communication, sharing, and receiving information, the importance of broadband Internet access will grow. (Visser and Ball, 2010)
During my time in the graduate program, I also realized the importance of having a diversified collection representing your community. Creating a culturally diverse collection allows for a broader experience for everyone, especially children within their local library. As Bishop (1997) has pointed out, the availability of culturally diverse material can reflect the reader's experience or be a gateway for them to experience another culture. Either way, this type of experience can help to form the reader's opinion in a developmentally positive way. "Diverse, culturally authentic materials in library collections allow all children to meet people like themselves and develop an appreciation for the beauty of their culture and the cultures of others"(Naidoo, 2014). A wide array of diversified books helps to ensure a representation of your community within your library's collection. Additionally, through my time in the public sector, I have witnessed the need for better representation in diverse cultural books and the positive feedback from patrons when communities are provided with material that reflects their own culture in numerous ways.
The importance of these ideas, accessibility, and diversity will help influence my future professional decisions. Creating an atmosphere that is accessible to all and also represents a diverse population will ensure that I am working toward a positive goal for individuals that visit my library.
REFRENCES
Bishop, Rudine Sims. 1997. “Selecting Literature for a Multicultural Curriculum.” In Using Multiethnic Literature in the K–8 Classroom, edited by Violet Harris, 1–20. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.
Naidoo, J. (2014). In The importance of diversity in library programs and material collections for children. Chicago, IL; ALSC Assocation for Library Service to Children.
Visser, M., & Alice Ball, M. (2010). The Middle Mile: The Role of the Public Library in Ensuring Access to Broadband. Information Technology & Libraries, 29(4), 187–194.