The “E” word, Pahrump, and The Thing That Beats in Our Chests

Thoughts from reading Chapter 1, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

I am thinking back to when Barack Obama was elected president- a president that I campaigned for with great exuberance, and I would even say joy. This included canvassing in Pahrump (anyone remember Coast to Coast AM?) and Las Vegas NV, and in central California. So many people were buoyant with possibility and ideas of progressive change. We were full of hope- with a capital H. What about now- September 1, 2026? How do we remain buoyant? Uplifted? Remain rooted and motivated in the energy of compassion, empathy, and love when fear and hatred are stacked up high in the daily headlines? 

In the forward to the book Heart of Librarianship, Brian Keeney describes Obama as, “a cheerleader” for the “E-word”-empathy. It’s a word and concept that can ruffle up people; perhaps too much “feeling” isn’t so great? Perhaps it’s overused and raises suspicions? Has it become just a loaded word in a way that bypasses what can be seen as a valuable and integral part of being human- relating to one another viscerally? In terms of librarianship, and particularly one that leads with an expansive heart, could we not frame empathy as the ability to make another person’s experience matter deeply enough to influence how we provide information, services, and advocacy to our communities- and beyond? I think so. 

Dr. Stephens presents the qualities and vision that Hyperlinked Librarians attune to, with two statements making a particular impact on me: “The path forward will always be an evolutionary one,” and “Inevitably, there will always be some amount of chaos.” 

Evolution and chaos: both strong and demanding components in all aspects of growth, birth, death, renewal, destruction, adaptation, and just about anything I can think of. Chaos connects us to one another. We can’t freeze it or make it go away; our physical and metaphorical hearts evolve and cycle through its many forms and presentations, from our very beginnings to our very ends. Dr. Stephens includes the word, “always,” in both concepts. We cannot escape the burdensome, the exhausting, the frightening, the chaotic- feelings that are non-negotiably “always” a possibility. The companion to this idea is that movement, change, and growth are also, “always,” a part of the process- this ebb and flow of chaos and evolution is constant. The hyperlinked librarian recognizes these facets and keeps going forward- finding buoyancy and hope in working from the heart, where deep wells fearlessness can be found. How do we keep connected to our own fearless, empathetic, and “attentive,” hearts, while encouraging others to do the same? How can we nurture the same in children and teens? In our businesses? In our government? In our libraries?

This is a good place to stop. I’m reading Daniel Pink’s work now- so that will be my next post topic.

Photograph: Kansuke Yamamoto, 1950 Heart in Motion – Shadow of Happiness | The Art Institute of Chicago