Community

I paused the lecture to write this quotation down.
I added underlines and circled it.
I added a star.
And I gave myself a little pep talk.
Maybe you could use one, too – so here is a peek into this past week’s journey through walking imposter syndrome out the door.

Do I belong here?
After spending the first week of this class wondering if I could meaningfully participate and contribute to this class because I do not work in a library, the Block quotation helped me remember who I am, what I have done, and why I started (and am soon finishing) this degree program. It’s an experience I have had a few times over the past three years.

While I have never shelved a book, I have spent my career connecting people with and through meaningful experiences while working in industries and environments more known for gatekeeping adaptation to change. Having started in non-profit work, my career has been very mission-based – I have had those tough conversations about how and if our efforts are fulfilling the organization’s mission and vision. I have developed and delivered countless trainings, events, and programs. I have even escorted intoxicated patrons out of the venue, evacuated the building a few times, and waited with patrons for EMTs to arrive and give them the care they need.

I did not start this program just because I love libraries and want to learn ways to connect people with information and services.

I am getting an MLIS because I want to help people connect and build healthy communities together.

Building relatedness

Libraries are one of the last truly democratic institutions we have in the US. Where else can someone simply walk in and spend the day without spending a dime? Libraries are opportunities for accessibility and connection through programming and access to resources. I was thinking of how the US Surgeon General has declared an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, issued a health warning about the negative impacts of social media on our teens, and confirmed that parents in the US are unhealthily stressed and unsupported. Libraries are public institutions that can help fill the gaps we need to have conversations, meet one another, and find the connections we need to build healthy communities.

A common theme I picked up through our foundational reading and lectures is that libraries, like many industries and institutions, want yet struggle to change their operations and services to optimally meet the needs of the communities they serve. I am well aware of the challenges – the funding, the institutional and organizational norms, etc. – that obstruct the implementation of programs and services.

In this moment, I appreciate having a semester together to play with possibility – play with ideas that may or may not pan out. Too often, in my experience, we don’t get the opportunity to ask “what if?”

The health of our communities is at stake. Libraries are not the only solution, but they can be a vital part of bringing us closer together.

I am all in for a rich, semester-long kickoff to a discussion of possibility and hope.

So, yes, I do belong here. And so do you – whether you have worked in a library for your entire career or, like me, found your way here through a more circuitous path.

Onward!