This module resonated the most with me thus far. I consider myself to be a library evangelist, who spreads to gospel to anyone who would be willing to listen. My feelings about the library’s role in society were summed up perfectly in an article I read while completing my MLIS, The Public Library: The People’s Library?
The author, Kathleen Molz, wrote this article in 1964, but the content is still relevant. In this article, she posits that the library should shift from being a middle class public good to an open library for the people. However, this cannot be done without adequate resources.
This is a problem that I have encountered in my professional life. How do we convince the power brokers, whose sole concern is profitability, that putting money and resources into something that provides no tangible return is worthwhile. One strategy that has been successful to me is to allow the people to tell our stories.
Stories are powerful. Thus, why I prefer the word “patron” over “customer” or “client” in regards to describing library users. We give them our services, and they give us their support. One very interesting concept that has emerged from this module is the Human Library. In the Human Library, the people are in circulation. They bring their knowledge, skills, and position within the community and share it with others.
Reflecting on my personal experience again, whenever I have had to meet with those stakeholders and power brokers, I did present data and evidence. But sometimes, the most powerful data is word of mouth. I was working with one patron once who was enrolled in a community college program. She asked for help with Excel homework. I responded that I cannot provide direct help, but I can direct her to resources. Additionally, I invited her to my Microsoft Excel course. She accepted the challenge. Weeks later, while working the information desk, I heard a yell: “I passed the class!”. She came back to tell me she passed the class. More importantly, she graciously completed and submitted a comment card. I read this comment card during a Board of Trustees meeting to justify why it was worthwhile to devote staff resources to these programs.
As we engage with our patrons, it is important to remember why we’re here. The library is the people’s university. Let’s use their stories to tell our story.
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