This I Believe

All of humanity sits on the same plane, or level, whereby no one is above another. Every human being is equal to the next. As a small part of humanity myself, I find it my duty to do good unto all for the aforementioned reason. It is my philosophy that all are equal, with none above or below the next, and my desire is to act as such. Further, this translates to information accession and public service. All are within their basic human right to desire any piece of information, and all should be served by any public servant with the same level of care.

Carrying these values throughout my daily life influences my professionalism, my professional interactions, and my workplace presence. The American Library Association (ALA) holds core values aligned with my philosophies, such as: “Access - All information resources… should be equitably accessible to all  library users”; “Intellectual Freedom - censorship of library materials is counterintuitive to our mission”; and “Service - the highest level of service should be given to all  library users.” As a public library employee and public servant to our users, I take these core values to heart and do my best to utilize them in every interaction with every patron. 

I see public libraries as beacons to the communities wherein they reside. Each member of the community should be able to receive equitable access to the provided resources, they should have the freedom to choose or desire any piece of information or resources that they need or want without censorship and they should all receive the same level of service. None is above the next, none is below the next, and all should be treated and served in a professional manner that reflects these core values. While this is not always the result, and while there are individuals who find this philosophy to be flawed, it is one that I will stand by. As an information professional, it is my mission to see this belief carried out and put forth in every community that I serve.