Professional Statement - H. David “Giz” Womack - July 15, 2008

Introduction 

As a staff member in an academic library for the past fourteen years, and a Library and Information Studies student for the last three and a half years, I’ve had more opportunities than most students to contemplate my professional values of librarianship. While reviewing the statement of professional values paper I composed upon starting the Library and Information Studies program at UNC-G in the spring of 2005, it became apparent that much had changed in Libraries in the ensuing three years, from Library 2.0 to consolidation of information services vendors, meanwhile the core values and ethical foundations of librarianship remained unchanged, still standing as the tenants of the profession. The tools used to serve patrons may change, but the core values remain the same.

Ethical Foundations of Librarianship 

Ranganathan’s five laws of library science along with the American Library Association’s Code of Ethics and the Library Bill of Rights may seem obvious to some, but they form a strong supporting structure on which all other aspects of librarianship are supported. Just last week I was involved in a discussion regarding circulation of media, specifically DVDs and VHS tapes. The idea of only allowing in-house use of these items to eliminate overdue items instantly made me think of two of Ranganathan’s laws: “books are for use” and “save the time of the user.” I brought these points up in the discussion and we all agreed that the ZSR Library was a more open and inviting institution that would only limit reserve materials and special collections to in-house use. It is often easy to fall into the habit of doing what makes that staff’s life easier rather than what meets the needs of the user. These foundations of librarianship are good guides for our decision-making process as library change and reinvent themselves. As Ranganathan’s five law of library science states: “The library is a growing organism.”

ALA’s code of ethics will be 70 years old in 2009 and it still accurately represents the core values of librarianship. We live in interesting times when intellectual freedom is often challenged by censorship and librarians will always be at the forefront of this challenge. We must continue to strive for excellence in the profession, protecting free access to information for all and the rights of users in the most unbiased ways possible. As librarians move through their careers, we must prepare to lead the profession and develop not only the research and instruction skill, but also the required management skills to successfully lead libraries in the new millennium. 

Library Management 

Often management is an aside in the profession of librarianship. In many large institutions it is taken for granted that promoted employees are prepared to manage staff and/or projects and in small organization it is often seen as unnecessary. Both points of view could not be further from reality. In large institutions the need for strong leadership is critical to the success of the library. Staff need to know the mission, their role in that mission and their value to the organization. Projects like needs assessments can be extremely valuable not only in judging user satisfaction, but also staff satisfaction with the organization. Additionally, the value of mentoring should not be overlooked by libraries. Staff need both formal and informal mentoring to prepare them for a successful career in this profession regardless of their role in the organization. Too often we see staff floundering in need of good mentors. In small libraries, these management skills are equally important. While often there are few or no staff to manage, a small library depends heavily on its relationship to the community it serves. Cultivating these relationships is an important management skill for everyone in the organization. 

Collection Development 

Collection development taught me one of the key tenants of librarianship “to meet the needs of the users.” It sounds so simple, but is fraught with complexity and challenges in public, school and academic libraries. Limited budgets, conflicting needs, conglomerate pricing of information resources, these all challenge even the best collection development librarian with the most complete collection development policy. The development of clear collection policies, the implementation of those policies and communicating those policies to users is a daunting task in the best of times. Add to those challenges the ever-present fiscal challenges and you create an environment that would challenge the best librarians. Efforts to create consortia agreements with vendors to save money along with efforts to decrease spending through electronic-only resources are just two of the ways fiscal issues are challenged. Collection development is such an all-encompassing field in the modern world. Policies only scratch the surface of modern collection management. Contract negotiations, departmental negotiations, and liaison management give a much clearer vision of the role of collection management in libraries. 

Information Services 

Information Services, or Reference as it is often called, has been in flux in recent years. Reports of its demise have been greatly exaggerated; however recent changes have made it look very different than in the past. A decade ago the Internet was new and bibliographic instruction was the order of the day. Now while bibliographic instruction is still very relevant it has been joined by information literacy and new technologies ranging from full-text electronic databases to virtual reference via chat clients. We have gone from annotated bibliographies to online research guides. This has changed the face of reference and required librarians in this area to change as well. Technology has been a driving force for change in libraries. Open source solutions, remote access to resources, and other user-centric technologies have changed the way libraries do business. Now libraries must compete not with each other, but with the Internet and commercial bookstores when meeting the needs of users. 

Information Technology 

New technologies have enabled much of the current change present in libraries today. Library 2.0 tools based on Web 2.0 technologies have incorporated more user-generated content than ever. This trend shows no sign of waning. Additionally, open-source integrated library systems have allowed some libraries to get away from expensive, long-term vendor contracts in favor of in-house development. While the role of information technology looms large in the modern library, it is important to remember it is only a tool and not the destination. Libraries must strive to implement technologies that meet the needs of the user, not implementing technology for technology’s sake. Podcasts, digital video, wikis and blogs, are all ways to reach users, but the content must be behind each of these tools if they are to be effective. 

Conclusion 

Some common themes have been present throughout my library and information studies coursework. With regards to instructions, the shift in the role of librarian from “sage on the stage” to “guide by the side” comes to mind. While bibliographic instruction is still a major role of librarians, the new image of a reference librarian standing beside a patron facilitating research is becoming the norm. Another theme is “meeting the needs of the user.” Using this as a mantra is a powerful tool. When considering new ideas, programs, services it is important to first ask and answer the question “Does it meet the needs of the user” before proceeding. While this sounds obvious, it is far too easy to skip this step. A final recurring theme is the proverb/curse “May you live in interesting times.” We live in a time of unprecedented access to information and unprecedented challenges to that access. As a profession, librarians must step up and meet the challenges of the new millennium head on, not only for the survival of our profession, but also for the common good.