My Philosophy
I entered the MLIS program knowing that diversity was important to me. I have always felt that it was important for children to have access to materials that allowed them to see themselves. As I have progressed in the program, I realized that I have an obligation to provide a full spectrum of resources to the community I serve.
“A Study of self-censorship by school librarians” states that even though professional programs stress the importance of information access, graduates of such programs still self-censor their library collections (Rickman). Not only will this self-censorship affect students’ access to a wide array of materials, opinions, and beliefs but, also their intellectual and personal growth. The study examined the external and internal factors that brought about self-censorship with the librarians that participated in the study. The results of the study indicated that most of the librarians in the sample group did not practice self-censoring behaviors in the selection process. These results were from the librarians that were under 60 years of age, held formal education in library media, and had more than 15 years of experience. Knowing this will make me aware of the potential to self-censor.
I have learned that is so important to have a selection and reconsideration policy in place. “Unnatural Selection: Restricting Books with Controversial Content is on the Rise in School Libraries” stressed how important it is to have a policy in place for challenged books (Jacobson). Jamie LaRue, director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom said, “One hundred percent of schools should have a reconsideration policy.” I realize that as a new librarian, I may get a job working in a school without such a policy and that I should advocate for one before a crisis arises.
Intellectual freedom to me goes hand in hand with diversity. During my journey, I came across the American Association of School Libraries intellectual freedom brochure (AASL 2021). This gives a lot of great information and resources about the importance of providing patrons who are seeking information the right to that information. I especially like that this brochure can be downloaded, duplicated, and distributed.
During some of my coursework I came across AASL’s Defending Intellectual Freedom LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries (AASL 2021). This is an amazing toolkit will help me as a school librarian to create and maintain open and inviting physical and virtual spaces that include all learners. The interactive charts create a resource that is easy to use, including questions and activities that relate to the shared foundations. As educators, school librarians not only collaborate and coteach, but they must also uphold the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights by providing patrons with the unrestricted access to the information that will allow them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
I believe to be a successful school librarian I will need to possess the characteristics of warmth, caring, open-mindedness, non-judgmental, acceptance, compassion, and willingness to advocate for our youth. Cultural awareness and diversity are paramount topics that will promote open-mindedness, caring, empathy, and compassion among my patrons. If I get to know and appreciate my patrons and their families, this might bring about opportunities for life-long learning for everyone involved.
With all of this being said, I feel a strong need to express my desire to be a social influencer of reading. As a school library media specialist, I hope to play a large role in reading advocacy and support. According to Dr. Margaret Merga, "through the role libraries and librarians play in supporting readers and reading, libraries and librarians make a valuable contribution to the literacy levels in the societies in which they are placed (Merga 2017)." What an amazing accomplishment this would be!
References
"AASL Governing Documents" American Association School Librarians. Retrieved on March 2, 2021 from http://www.ala.org/aasl/about/govern
"Intellectual Freedom" American Library Association. Retrieved on March 2, 2021from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom
Jacobson, L. (2016, October). Unnatural selection: More librarians are self-censoring. School Library Journal, 62(10), 20-24.
Merga, M. K. (2017). Becoming a Reader: Significant Social Influences on Avid Readers. School Library Research, 20, 1-21.
"AASL Governing Documents" American Association School Librarians. Retrieved on March 2, 2021 from http://www.ala.org/aasl/about/govern
"Intellectual Freedom" American Library Association. Retrieved on March 2, 2021from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom
Jacobson, L. (2016, October). Unnatural selection: More librarians are self-censoring. School Library Journal, 62(10), 20-24.
Merga, M. K. (2017). Becoming a Reader: Significant Social Influences on Avid Readers. School Library Research, 20, 1-21.