Library Philosophy
My personal philosophy of librarianship is that of equitable access to space, information, and services. I say equitable access and not equal access because the latter term has the potential to remove entire communities from the discussions on programming, staffing, experiences, etc. Allowing everyone in a given community to use a library is equal treatment, equitable treatment would be to focus programming on those who are systemically/socially disadvantaged within the academic space such as first-year students, ESL students, queer and trans individuals, POC, those experiencing mental illness, and those with disabilities, amongst others. It is important to understand the nuances between each group, not to homogenize them under ideas of a singular “institutional mission.” We must approach their problems and concerns as individual, personal issues. It is our duty as librarians and information professionals to promote these ideas and be constantly critical of the institutions that we work within, lest they contribute to larger systemic issues. I gained much of this philosophy through my own experiences, through I can attribute many of my current beliefs to UCLA's MLIS program which had a focus on the connection between libraries/archives and various forms of restorative/social justice.