I came across this piece on Medium and thought--yes! If you've seen me present within the last year, you know I've been referencing Brené Brown, but I agree wholeheartedly (reference intended) with this author. While he's a teacher referring to teachers, this is equally as valid in librarianship: Just like supporting the mental health of… Continue reading Empathy does not come for free
Category: Editorial
Now What?
Back in March, when we were in the first frenzy of closures, there was a brief window of time when my state's governor ordered businesses to shut down but exempted public libraries. That changed quickly, but the few days of waiting and not knowing felt eternal. At one point, in the comments section of a… Continue reading Now What?
The Evolving Epistemology of Librarianship
Will the internet and e-publishing kill librarianship? This question is perpetually at the forefront of news about libraries. Researchers measure the numbers of people reading ebooks as compared to print books and compare library users who access digital materials to those who show up in person. We're encouraged to debate the digital future in our… Continue reading The Evolving Epistemology of Librarianship
Social Work for Librarians: Cultural Humility
One of the foundational concepts of social work is "cultural humility." Cultural humility builds on the belief that each person is an expert on his/her/their life and recognizes that our cultural experiences shape how we view the world. We each exist at the intersection of various cultural spheres, and we make assumptions about how the… Continue reading Social Work for Librarians: Cultural Humility
Libraries and the Election: A Whole Person Response
I just finished reading this post from R. David Lankes, best known as the author of The Atlas of New Librarianship, and this related post from Anthony Molaro. Both men are professors of library and information science, and both call for action from knowledge professionals in response to this week's election. Lankes focuses on the… Continue reading Libraries and the Election: A Whole Person Response
Social Work and the Limited Scope of iSchool Research
...until LIS educators teach library reading and library as place in their professional programs at the core level, and until LIS researchers ask questions about what users learn from their interaction with libraries and determine how that learning fits into their everyday lives, both are addressing only a fraction of what libraries actually do for… Continue reading Social Work and the Limited Scope of iSchool Research
WPL at IFLA: Homelessness, Refugees, and Person-in-Context
Last month, I attended the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, OH as a U.S. National Fellow. It was a remarkable experience and an opportunity to start thinking about Whole Person Librarianship from a global perspective. Last year, the IFLA Section for Library Services to People with Special Needs formed a working group to… Continue reading WPL at IFLA: Homelessness, Refugees, and Person-in-Context
Five Core Beliefs to Sustain Librarianship
These core beliefs are strongly influenced by Whole Person Librarianship. They were developed in response to the deprofessionalization of library tasks. They present an alternative to the neoliberalist ("retail") model of librarianship. Librarians are professionals with a unique skill set. Librarianship is grounded in and motivated by equity and social justice. Librarianship as a profession… Continue reading Five Core Beliefs to Sustain Librarianship
WPL in Public Libraries Magazine
What is “Whole Person Librarianship”?
If you're visiting this page because you searched for "whole person librarianship" after seeing it on my ALA Emerging Leaders card, welcome! This post is for you. Whole Person Librarianship is a nascent set of principles and practices to embed social justice in every aspect of library work. It began as with this blog as… Continue reading What is “Whole Person Librarianship”?
Whole Person Librarianship 