By nature, I am a storyteller. It’s what led me to have a career in direct service to the community. Stories show how we understand the world, how we connect with each other, and how we see ourselves. Our stories need to be heard, seen, and shared because they remind us that we’re not alone and that we truly are connected to each other. Our stories make our communities. 

Narrative Inquiry: Looking Beyond Data

I’m drawn to this concept of narrative inquiry and how it truly keeps the individual and their story at the center. It provides more depth and insight into the data we’re constantly collecting and assessing. 

Community work is rooted in constantly analyzing data to prove that the work we are doing is valuable. However, we know that data alone cannot capture the live experiences of the communities and the people we serve. Narrative inquiry, I believe, serves as that connection between the data and the person. It allows us to hear the unique individual stories of the people rather than reducing them to numbers. As a community worker, narrative inquiry allows me to also better advocate for the people we serve, and remind stakeholders of the people behind the data. 

Story Time!

 I had the chance to meet and share my story last week with Mychal Threets. Mychal is an SJSU MLIS alum who’s gone viral for capturing #libraryjoy. His work is an amazing example of storytelling on behalf of librarians and the communities they serve. These stories weren’t told, and now we’re seeing the benefits of sharing these stories for the world to see and how much the library impacts every one of us.

Below is the link to our conversation:

https://www.instagram.com/mychal3ts/reel/DHycjiGRolB/?hl=en

What’s Your Story?

So now, I must ask…what would kid you say now that you’re becoming a librarian?