The philosophy, principles, and ethics of libraries are challenged more and more each day with the rise of book banning and censorship. Librarians must be comfortable articulating their library policy and the ALA Bill of Rights to ensure that information and library services are available to everyone. The professors in the SLIS program at the University of Alabama have ensured that we know how to access the resources available to us by not only the American Library Association, but also our local library associations, to remind us of the purpose of librarians being that of information keepers and distributors. As librarians, we are responsible for guaranteeing that every person who steps foot into our library feels welcome and is represented in the materials the library has to offer. If any person, entity, or otherwise challenges the basic human right to intellectual freedom, then it is up to each librarian to respectfully respond to those threats using the philosophy, principles, and ethics of libraries set up through the policies of the American Library Association.
Assignment 1: LS 530 (Professor Gerber)
For my first work sample, I chose an intellectual freedoms challenge paper that I wrote for Professor Gerber’s Public Libraries class. This is a response that no librarian ever wants to have to write; however, it is becoming more of a daily occurrence across the country with censorship on the rise. According to the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.” Librarians must be aware of how to answer book ban requests professionally and unemotionally, with as much policy, research, and ethical backing as possible. This was a great exercise to prepare me for a future in public librarianship working with children as they tend to be the ones most affected by book banning.
Admin. (2022, September 7). Library bill of rights. Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill
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c._williams_intellectual_freedom_challenge.pdf |
Assignment 2: LS 590 (Professor Gerber)
My second work sample is a project goal statement that I wrote for Professor Gerber’s Philosophy, Fundraising, and Grants class. One of the major responsibilities of librarians is grant writing; this is an important skill to improve funding for resources at one’s library. The availability of funding for resources is an integral necessity to individuals have equal access to all information, consistent with the philosophy, principles and ethics of library services. Through this project goal statement, I was able to practice writing a grant application, which articulated the philosophy and principles of the project I sought to undertake. I enjoyed learning how to clearly articulate how I would use the funds allocated by this grant to ensure that patrons of lower economic status would have equal access of information, which is consistent with philosophy, principles and ethics of library services.
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c._williams_project_goal_statement.pdf |