Dominique Burns
INFO 289-10/Dr. Ziming Liu/Fall 2016
Core Competency O — identify ways in which information professionals can contribute to the cultural, economic, educational, and social well-being of our global communities.
Competency
O
Introduction
My personal philosophy for librarianship is that librarians are information guides, intermediaries, teachers, students, and advocates for their communities. I believe in this same philosophy for librarians and their global communities. Librarians, as information professionals, contribute to the cultural, economic, educational, and social well-being of their global communities (Stephens, 2016). They have a responsibly to create spaces that continually foster literary and digital literacy skills. As well, create spaces that provide both the ethical exploration of information and the preservation of information. Librarianship is not just about the books, but more so about the people they serve and the information needs of their communities.
Cultural Well-being
The 21st century world is one that “Is increasingly heterogeneous” and made up of many different cultures (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, 2001). With over 6,000 different languages in the world, it is important for librarians to remember ‘cultural diversity’ or ‘multiculturalism’ in their services and programs (IFLA, 2001). This means recognizing information needs and providing services that are “Culturally and linguistically diverse” (IFLA, 2001). There are several principles for global librarianship from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). They are:
1. Serve all members of the community without discrimination based on cultural and linguistic heritage.
2. Provide information in appropriate languages and scripts.
3. Give access to a broad range of materials and services reflecting all communities and needs.
4. Employ staff to reflect the diversity of the community, who are trained to work with and serve diverse communities (IFLA, 2001).
I believe a large part of global librarianship is recognizing the unique cultural outlooks and sets of gifts (skills) from different community members (Northwestern University ABCD Institute, n.d., p. 2). Librarians aren’t all knowing and aren’t supposed to be. Librarians are information guides and I think it is important as part of global librarianship that they work with the community to continually provide the best possible library services. One of the ways that librarians can do this is through a multicultural library. Here are five core actions from IFLA that librarians can do to contribute cultural well-being of their global community.
1. Develop culturally diverse and multilingual collections and services, including digital and multimedia resources.
2. Allocate resources for the preservation of cultural expression and heritage, paying particular attention to oral, indigenous and intangible cultural heritage.
3. Include programs supporting user education, information literacy skills, new- comer resources, cultural heritage and cross-cultural dialogue as integral parts of the services.
4. Provide access to library resources in appropriate languages through information organization and access systems.
5. Develop marketing and outreach materials in appropriate media and languages to attract different groups to the library (IFLA, 2001).
Economic Well-being
The Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business conducted a study to measure the economic benefits of the Indiana Public Library system on the community (Indiana Business Research Center, 2007). The study focused on answering the following questions:
1. What are the measurable economic benefits of public and academic (university and college) libraries?
2. How well are libraries doing in playing an active role in economic development (Indiana Business Research Center, 2007)?
In the study researchers found that the Indiana libraries contributed directly to the economic well-being of their communities. Here are the results of the study:
1. Indiana communities received $2.38 in direct economic benefits for each dollar of cost.
2. Public library salaries and expenditures generate an additional $216 million in economic activity in Indiana.
3. Academic library salaries and expenditures generate an additional $112 million in economic activity in Indiana.
4. Public libraries account for almost 9,000 jobs in Indiana:
5. Nearly 6,900 employed by the libraries themselves.
6. Approximately 2,000 additional jobs in industries that support libraries and their staff.
7. Academic libraries employ more than 2,200 persons and account for 630 additional jobs in industries that support the libraries and their staff.
8. Over 50 percent of surveyed community leaders, excluding library directors and staff, believe libraries contribute to their local economic prosperity.
9. An even greater percentage of community leaders think libraries significantly improve the local quality of life.
10. Community leaders are generally pleased with many features of their library and library staff, but less impressed with the business-related collections and their library’s communication and outreach to the business community.
11. The average patron is generally more pleased with her or his library than are local community leaders.
12. Libraries serve as a significant channel for delivering educational services for every age, from pre-school through retirement (Indiana Business Research Center, 2007, pp. 5-6).
The Indiana Library system isn’t the only system that contributes to the economic well-being of their communities. In fact the Seattle Central Library found similar data for how they positively affected and contributed to their community’s economic well-being (ALA, n.d). According to the American Library Association (ALA) there are many ways that librarians can contribute to positive economic growth of a community. Librarians can provide resources for small businesses, partner with other community organizations and individuals, and provide skill-based classes to help individuals find jobs (ALA, n.d.). Libraries are places that individuals often utilize for developing work related skills, such as resume building, technology classes, and/or interviewing workshops. Librarians can also provide information about jobs, help patrons find jobs, and help them apply to jobs. Libraries are information community centers and librarians have an opportunity to provide services the contribute to the economic well-being of the global communities they serve.
Educational Well-being
According to the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) “Libraries are at the heart of schools, universities and colleges in every country around the world. Libraries support literacy programs, provide a safe space for learning, and support researchers to reuse research and data to create new knowledge” (2015). Librarians strive to provide their global communities with numerous educational services, such as instructional classes, homework centers, and outreach services. School libraries provide students with curriculum support and prepare them for life after high school. Public and special libraries serve their diverse communities by providing educational programs focus on helping their patrons with literary and digital literacy skills. Here are some things that librarians everywhere can do to contribute to the educational well-being of their global communities:
1. Support school curriculum
2. Career/job resources and support
3. Technology classes
4. GED or high school equivalency classes
5. Business resources and classes
6. Instructional classes to learn new skills (PewResearchCenter, n.d.)
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Figure 1: Opportunities for Learner-centered Environments
(Goldsmith & Fonseca, 2015)
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Librarians have a reasonability to help their global communities flourish and there are so many ways that librarians can do this. Here are some links to other libraries that contribute to the educational well-being of their communities.
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The British Public Library (London, England): http://www.bl.uk/#
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Denver Public Library Events & Classes (Denver, CO): https://www.denverlibrary.org/events?date_filter[min][date]=2016-10-06&date_filter[max][date]=2016-10-06
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Miguel Angel Asturias Academy School Library (Quetzaltenango, Guatemala): http://lwb-online.org/projects/
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New York Public Library Educational Programs (New York, NY): https://www.nypl.org/education
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Social Well-being
The library is “The community’s living room and all that implies – a place to learn, a place to socialize, a place for ideas and discussion” (Block, 2007, p. 225). The library is a place where people come to learn, collaborate, relax, and work. According to Block (2007) there are several ways that libraries contribute to the social well-being of the community, which include:
1. Courting community leadership
2. Building partnerships
3. Marketing
4. Economic value
5. Training
6. Outreach to underserved populations
7. Helping the community achieve important goals (Block, 2007, pp. xviii – xix).
The library can also contribute to the social well-being of a community by connecting people. Librarians have an opportunity to foster environments where people feel safe and welcomed. Librarians can do this be getting to know their patrons, not just as customers, but as unique individuals. Global librarianship is about people and the best way to build social capital is through human connections and trust. Ultimately, librarians can contribute to the social well-being of their communities by creating a space that represents their global community.
Evidence
The following evidence includes MLIS coursework that I have completed during my time at San Jose State University.
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INFO 266 Collection Management: Community Collection Selection Paper
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INFO 286 Interpersonal Communication Skills for Librarians: Exploratory Essay
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INFO 281 Seminar in Contemporary Issues — Examination of Global Library Issues using Project Based Learning: Individual Assignment #1: Persona Sketch and Philosophy
INFO 266 Collection Management: Community Collection Selection Paper
Evidence:
This assignment required me to select materials for a collection at San Jose Public Library, West Valley Branch. I had a pretend budget of $750.00 dollars to spend per month on the collection. I had to research the community’s demographics and interests before selecting items for the collection. I then choose materials I thought would be relevant to the information needs of the community. I looked at materials that would contribute to the cultural, economic, educational, and social well-being of their community. I researched best sellers and new books through Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal for this assignment.
INFO 286 Interpersonal Communication Skills for Librarians: Exploratory Essay
Evidence:
Global librarianship requires librarians to affectively and successfully communicate with patrons and staff members from diverse backgrounds. This exploratory essay examined factors that could influence cultural communication and looked at ways for improvement between library staff and patrons. I looked at personality preferences, age, gender, socio-economic backgrounds, and educational backgrounds in relation to library communication practices. I analyzed different ways librarians could communicate with patrons from high-context and low-context cultures. This essay also explored the role of librarian in relation to effective cross-cultural communication in the library.
INFO 281 Seminar in Contemporary Issues — Examination of Global Library Issues using Project Based Learning: Individual Assignment #1: Persona Sketch and Philosophy
Evidence:
Part one of this assignment required me to research the role of libraries in Guatemala and to create a persona sketch from the point of view of a library stakeholder. Using class readings and outside research I created a persona sketch for a youth library user in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. In the paper I included name and basic demographics, background information, goals and aspirations for library use, and frustrations with library use. I included research about international librarianship in my paper and Guatemalan history, people, and society as framework for the persona sketch. Part two of this assignment required to write a short one paragraph personal philosophy for international librarianship. I included information from class readings, outside research, and my own personal beliefs for the statement.
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Conclusion
As I stated in my introduction, I believe that librarians are information guides, intermediaries, teachers, students, and advocates for their communities. I believe that global librarianship is about people and helping people with their information needs. My coursework above showcases my experiences researching other cultures and their communities. While my evidence above supports this competency, I believe that global librarianship is not something you learn just once, but rather an ongoing learning experience. This is because world is constantly growing and changing. Librarians should continually and ethically work towards creating libraries that contribute to the cultural, economic, educational, and social well-being of their global communities (Stephens, 2016).
References
American Library Assocation (ALA). (n.d.). Business Development. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/research/librariesmatter/taxonomy/term/133
Block, M. (2007). The thriving library. Medford, NJ: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
Goldsmith, M, & Fonseca, A. J. (2015). The academic library as an educational system. Retrieved from
https://www.elsevier.com/connect/the-academic-library-as-an-educational-system
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). (2015). Access and opportunity for all.
Retrieved from
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). (2001). IFLA/UNESCO multicultural library
manifesto. Retrieved from
PewResearchCenter. (n.d.). Libraries and learning. Retrieved from
Stephens, M. (2016). The heart of librarianship: Attentive, positive, and purposeful change. Chicago, IL: Library of
Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
Global Communities