Midway Through

Amazingly, this is the mid-semester point and it seems like a good idea to do some reflection on how this process of blogging and reflection has impacted my learning so far.  And so I have read back over my posts here and looked again as some of my comments on the class discussion boards, looking to see how my thoughts have changed and what themes have been central to what I have found to be most interesting.

Looking first at the changes over the semester so far, I realize that the parts of library science and the current issues that interested me at the beginning of the semester continue to interest me.  However, my thoughts about them are much more concrete and developed and the knowledge I have about them has greatly increased.  For example, one of the early discussions in class was about whether librarianship is a profession.  I thought that this discussion was a bit of a waste of time.  Why did it matter?  However, as I researched a paper of my chosen “library leader,” Melvil Dewy, I realized that this is a discussion that has been going on since before the beginning of modern library science.  And is affects both how we train and educate new librarians and how we practice.  This information but that discussion and context and I might answer the question differently now, or at least give it more wait.

The other change I have noticed is a result of the opportunity to reflect here on this blog.  I had not previously recognized that I was interested in eventually being in a management position in a library.  But as I read about the need for experienced managers in libraries and thought about my experiences and gifts, this seemed like a career past that I should explore.  Without the opportunity to do some weekly, structured reflection on what I am learning and what my gifts are, I am not sure I would feel this sense of direction and clarity.

Even in the midst of this growth and change, there are consistent themes that have persisted throughout these first few weeks.  I still am interested in public library work in an urban setting.  I do have a better understanding of what that means and what skills I will need for that work.  Another issue for me that continues to arise, particularly in the class discussions, is about how we make collection decisions at public libraries.  As librarians, we value free and open access to information and oppose censorship in all its forms.  However, what about materials that are clearly racist?  Or pornographic?   How do we make those determinations?  Does it matter if the materials are created for adults or children?  Or what if the community we serve decides that they do not want particular materials in their library?  We are supposed to serve the public, but what if the public asks us to do something that is against some of the other values we hold?  How does one balance these competing values and needs?  I’m not sure that there are clear cut answers to these questions, but I desire to have more of a conversation about them.

As the semester continues, I would like to continue to learn more about all of these areas.  The conversations I am having with my classmates have been very helpful and illuminating.  Each of them has different experiences and goals, and their paths help me see mine more clearly and to widen the possibilities.  I look forward to much more learning and understanding.