Core Chapter Concept: Librarians seek to empower the powerless and give voice to the minority.
For some librarians when you strip away the belief of the unbiased librarian you are left with a progressive activist who seeks the toppling of societal regimes of power and control. Some see the discussion of community centrism is a veiled call for Marxist ideals antithetical to the market. For some in the profession this is the radical librarianship that they have long strived for. For others in the profession this as an assured path to destruction of the profession, and a violation of the core value of service.
Some see the librarian as priest, others as activist, still others as civil servant. These views are nothing new. The emergence of the profession itself has been shaped by both progressive and conservative agendas—often at the same time. Andrew Carnegie, a major figure in the creation of libraries of all types, said of his philanthropy:
If I had raised your wages, you would have spent that money by buying a better cut of meat or more drink for your dinner. But what you needed, though you didn’t know it, was my libraries and concert halls. And that’s what I’m giving to you.1
Public libraries did not allow fiction on their shelves, or indeed children on their premises for the better part of the twentieth century because of a belief they imposed upon their communities. Once seen as bastions of social justice, the early public libraries are now seen as enforcing the predominant hegemony of white male privilege.
Here’s the thing: communities, like librarians, have their progressives and their conservatives. We must serve all our community members to the best of our abilities. We must make choices every day in line with both our values and our life experiences. You don’t give up your humanity, your desires, your passions, or your views when you become a librarian. What you sign on to provide, however, is service that is open and inclusive.
Librarians, in any setting, seek to empower the powerless, and seek to give voice to the minority. We do this because we are part of our communities, and our values and experience tell us there is strength in diversity. Just as we believe that the best decisions come from the richest pool of views, we strive to bring the richest set of voices to bear on our communities’ hopes and aspirations.
As librarians, we are pragmatic utopians. We believe that our communities seek a better tomorrow. We are willing to contend with bureaucracy, politics, the uninformed, and the downright hostile for as long as it takes to help our communities reach a better tomorrow in our pluralistic society.
This ideal must also be seen in how librarians, as professionals, treat one another. Our profession is, at its heart, conversation and debate, not unanimity of views, but that debate must be based on respect. Respect for individuals and respect for diversity. Never be afraid to engage in the professional discourse of service, or to share your ideas, no matter how far-fetched or dubious they might seem. Never be afraid to criticize the ideas of others, but always do this as a respectful professional. Librarianship is not about everyone agreeing; it’s about everyone working together to find way to improve our communities through knowledge creation.
As a librarian, you’ll make mistakes: own them, learn from them, and move on. There’s too much work to be done to retreat. As a librarian, you’ll take unpopular stances and disagree with the majority and minority alike: make your case, change your stance if you think you should, but always do what you know to be right.
When I first began writing about a community librarianship and a librarian’s view of librarianship, there were many doubters. I had (and still have) prolonged arguments with prominent professionals who see libraries as institutions built around a mission primarily of access to collections. Today, that tide has turned, and what you read in these pages may seem like common sense, or natural. This has come about because, as librarians, we have dedicated ourselves to making a difference, not to preserving an institution.
Now let’s move on to the next part of our journey and talk about the libraries that librarians build.