Core Competency C

Recognize the diversity (such as cultural and economic) in the clientele and employees of an information organization and be familiar with actions the organization should take to address this diversity.

Statement of Competence 
Recognizing the diversity of library patrons goes hand in hand with supporting the ideals of intellectual freedom and providing information on all sides of any issue. Especially in a public library, people from all backgrounds and belief systems may enter the facility at any time. They have different ethnicities, income brackets, gender identities, religious beliefs, and political affiliations, but each deserve unbiased assistance from library staff. Each deserve to find the information they seek, even if someone of conflicting beliefs does not think it should be offered at the public library.

Addressing the community’s diversity comes in a variety of ways. Being aware of the community’s specific informational needs is a prominent necessity. As an example environment, I would like to use a public library in an American Spanish-speaking neighborhood. At this library, offering plenty of diverse materials in Spanish would be a necessity in order to meet the demand of patrons. In addition, English as a Second Language (ESL) materials and instructional CDs, DVDs, and books on the subject of learning English would also be appreciated. To acknowledge and respect the diversity of this community, the majority of the staff also being bilingual in English and Spanish would be greatly appreciated by patrons who speak only Spanish.

This diversity would have an impact on the organization in the following ways. The collection development department would need to be well-versed in the types of materials their Spanish-speaking patrons want, and make efforts to acquire them. The members of this department might even consider spending time in the neighborhood, interacting with its residents in order to gain a better understanding of the services potential library patrons require. Collection development personnel would also need to do research on the best type of English learning materials. These are two subjects where the library staff would be useful; they are the ones interacting with patrons from the community and would be best able to recommend appropriate materials. Finally, hiring bilingual staff members who are fluent in both English and Spanish would impact the organization by requiring a little more effort during the hiring process, but would ultimately pay off in the form of happier patrons who feel the library respects their needs.

As I mentioned above, policies that promote a diverse environment are deeply rooted in the fundamental principle of intellectual freedom. This means that everyone who enters the library has an equal right to be there, and the information they seek should be just as accessible as the information anyone else is seeking. Public libraries arguably have the biggest commitment to policies that promote diversity since they are public spaces funded by the city or county’s taxes. It is a public library’s duty to implement policies that support all patrons’ equality. This means anticipating diverse needs, from library materials in many different languages to wheelchair ramps at all entrances and other accommodations. It is also important to implement programming that will appeal to patrons who are most likely to utilize the library’s services. Using the example of the public library in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood, programs that would support the diverse environment would include ESL classes for adults, bilingual homework help for school-age children, and bilingual storytimes for small children and babies. Because one could predict that the majority of patrons’ first language is Spanish, it would benefit the community if everyone who taught classes or lead programming in this library were bilingual.

In general, a library staff must be aware of the community that surrounds the facility. If there is as assisted living home down the street, the staff might keep in mind that they might need to speak louder and slower than usual to some patrons or assist in a more hands-on manner with technology such as computers and self-checkout, and the collection development department might make a note to stock more mystery series and nonfiction at that branch. If the surrounding area contains a large amount of homeless people, the desk staff might keep extra brochures for shelters and shower facilities at easy access, and the library might consider partnering with a food bank to provide meals. Especially in public libraries, being an effective pillar of the community means knowing the community and understanding its needs in order to serve everyone in it to the best of your ability.

Evidence
Persona Sketch
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Description
I completed the assignment entitled “Persona Sketch and Philosophy: Youth User” while taking INFO 281: Colloquial Contemporary Issues in the Fall 2016 semester. The subtitle of the class was Examination of Global Library Issues Using Project-Based Learning, and we focused on how to improve the library system in underprivileged regions of Guatemala. The goal of the Persona Sketch was to research the regions of Guatemala and their residents and attempt to understand their daily life. More specifically, to understand their needs in a library as it relates to their daily life. We were asked to choose from youth users (age 13-18), child users (age 5-12), librarian, teacher, or school administrator. I picked a youth user in the form of seventeen-year-old Yoselin, a fictional character cobbled together from my understanding of life in the Ixil region of Guatemala. Yoselin is a new wife and pregnant for the first time, and she enjoys reading historical fiction for fun. She wants to use the library both for research and recreation, but experiences obstacles in how to get to the library several miles away. The paper concludes with a philosophy on how to “do” international librarianship that is specific to Yoselin’s case. In other words, how one would help Yoselin and girls in similar positions through library services and programs. The conclusion drawn is that “doing” international librarianship in a case like Yoselin’s is just like doing it anywhere else. The specific needs of the community itself are to be recognized and addressed in order to get the community members interested and meet their needs.

Argument
I believe this assignment relates directly to the fundamentals of Competency C and effectively demonstrates my mastery on the subject of recognizing and addressing diversity in a library setting. This is evident throughout the assignment as I bring attention to several of my character’s specific needs, basing them in the facts of the Ixil region gleaned from research on the area and how the residents wish to use the library. Most prominently, my understanding of Competency C is apparent in the final section of the assignment, “Philosophy to ‘Do’ International Librarianship.” In this section, I recognize that environments may change, but the basic philosophy of librarianship does not.

The final sentence of the paper stands out the most as an understanding of how diversity should be treated in any library. I equate international librarianship, which in this context means working in a library in a country other than one’s own, to librarianship anywhere. Competency C encourages students to “recognize the diversity” in one’s library environment and “be familiar with the actions the organization should take to address this diversity.” My “Persona Sketch and Philosophy: Youth User” concludes by stressing that effective librarianship, from programming to basic services offered, is “a matter of getting to know your community’s specific needs and providing information based on those needs.” This idea addresses the core value of Competency C and effectively shows my understanding of the concept.

Aspects of the History of Books Through Three Diverse Exhibits
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Description
The second assignment I have chosen to demonstrate my mastery of Competency C is the first research paper I completed in pursuit of my Master’s degree. It was written during the Summer 2014 semester for LIBR 280: The History of Books and Libraries. The paper looks at three unique exhibitions in order to explain aspects of the history of books. The exhibits I studied are “Islamic Books and Bookbinding” at the Yale University Library, “4,000 Years of Miniature Books” at Indiana University, and “From Papyri to King James: The Transmission of the English Bible” at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The paper examines all three exhibits for their aesthetics, intended audience, mission, ways it could be improved, and functionality as an online exhibit. It also compares the exhibits to one another in terms of best and worst traits. “Islamic Books and Bookbinding” explains how bookbinding with paper, as opposed to papyrus or animal skin, differed specifically in the Islamic culture in the 16th to 18th centuries. “4,000 Years of Miniature Books” displayed the collection of one art book enthusiast and includes pieces from ancient Babylonia to the 1980’s. As the title of the final exhibit suggests, “From Papyri to King James” traces the development of the Bible from Ancient Egyptian manuscripts to modern day printings. As stated in the paper, the aim of all three exhibits was to educate viewers about the development of books and the printed word during specific time periods. At the conclusion, I name “From Papyri to King James” the most diverse in terms of items included in the exhibit, but note that all three successfully educate viewers on their chosen periods of book history.

Argument
This class approached cultural diversity in its most base form. We researched the history of books starting with the first clay tablet up through modern publishing, across all cultures from the Ancient Egyptians to monks transcribing religious texts to the Gutenberg Bible and beyond. We also explored the history of libraries from their first incarnation, through the opening of the Library of Congress, and into the way we know them today. “Aspects of the History of Books Through Three Diverse Exhibits” demonstrates my mastery of Competency C by showing the process through which I developed an understanding of the history of books themselves. Without the knowledge of how various cultures expressed themselves through print, I would not so effectively understand modern diversity in libraries. The written or printed word has always been a powerful expression of a civilization’s thoughts, stories, religion, history, art, and aspirations as a society.

Because of this assignment, I have a better understanding of this concept and am now able to translate it into modern library work. Understanding the importance of books in all societies allows me to be more sensitive to the diverse needs of a community. It is so important for all communities to have access to the written word because this has always been an invaluable part of what makes a community to begin with. Access to information, and more importantly, the desired and desperately needed information unique to the community’s individuals, is why an understanding of cultural diversity is vital to effective library work. This assignment laid the basis for my knowledge on this subject, which is why it was a key part of my understanding of Competency C.

Rare Documents in a Digital World: A Study of How Special Collections Repositories are Evolving with Technology
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Description
I completed my third example of my understanding of Competency C in LIBR 200: Information Communities during the Fall 2014 semester. The paper entitled “Rare Documents in a Digital World” researches ways special collections libraries, such as those housing ancient books and manuscripts, are digitizing their collections in an effort to keep up with our society’s ever-evolving technological consciousness. The paper recognizes all the different types of documents that might be housed in a special collections repository and notes that an important part of “keeping up with the times” is making as many of those documents available online as possible. The paper includes a literature review in which scholarly articles are cited to support the idea of digitization in special collections. There is also a brief discussion about special collections repositories taking one more leap into digital culture and communicating with current and potential patrons over social media, a forum that is more and more accepted as a professional way to get information to the masses. Finally, the paper looks specifically at the Special Collections and University Archives repository at the University of Oregon through a staff member interview. “Rare Documents in a Digital World” comes to the conclusion that digitization is both possible and necessary in order for special collections repositories to remain relevant with students, scholars, and researchers. It is also mentioned that in most cases, efforts to digitize are being made and will continue as technology evolves.

Argument
This assignment examines a very specific culture: digital culture. The people immersed in digital culture are the ones who prefer their knowledge to be gained from an in-depth search on Google Scholar or other online database rather than a physical trip to the library. In the paper I recognize that this is a relevant subculture especially as technology becomes more ubiquitous in our society, but also that some forms of information are easier to digitize than others. For example, it is a much simpler process to convert a paper book to a digital format when it is a novel written a few years ago, than when it is an ancient manuscript painstakingly copied from its original source in pen and ink thousands of years prior. For this reason, I recognize that it may be a difficult, time-consuming, and expensive undertaking, but also one that is imperative for libraries to consider in order to recognize their diverse patron base and make digital information as accessible as possible.

“Rare Documents in a Digital World” illustrates my mastery of Competency C because in the paper, I have recognized a subculture that needs recognition from a library organization in order for that organization to serve them at the level they need. In order for all materials to be available equally to patrons of all cultures, efforts must be made. In this case, it is the effort of digitizing materials previously only available in a physical format. Like providing bilingual staff members for those who speak languages other than English or the library implementing a policy of religious tolerance, making efforts to digitize physical materials is a recognition of people who identify as a member of the digital culture. It is also an effort to act upon this recognition by taking steps that will include members of the digital culture in the principle of intellectual freedom: equal information access for all.

Conclusion
I intend to apply the knowledge of how to recognize and accommodate diversity into my everyday proceedings working in a library. I will do this by making sure I understand the individual needs of each patron I encounter, and then doing my best to get them what they need. This might come in the form of a language interpreter, physical help carrying books, guidance on the computer, or myriad other forms of assistance. Because of my demonstrated understanding of Competency C, I feel ready to recognize the diversity in library patrons and take action to address that diversity.