Information should be made available without judgement, made easily accessible so not to exclude, and provided in completeness.
Before taking LIS 600: Foundation of Library and Information Studies class, I never realized just how much librarians advocate for free speech and freedom of information. Access to all information is a right everyone should have. This right should not be hindered, regardless of what we personally think about any given material. Instead, information should be made available without judgement, made easily accessible so not to exclude, and provided in completeness.
I have also learned a great deal about inclusivity and implicit bias. These were terms I knew, but not well. I have become much more aware of issues of concern in these areas and have better understanding of what they truly mean, particularly in librarianship.
I have spent quite a bit of extra time delving into the library as a place to increase cultural and heritage awareness. I think this is a critical component for our ever changing world. It is often said our world is getting smaller due to how easy it is to travel, do business with those in other countries, and even have neighbors that are new to our country and way of life. The library can be a place for new comers to share their culture with their new community, as well as explore the traditions of their new home.
Not only do libraries aid in the preservation of culture, they are also critical in the dissemination of that culture to the communities they serve. It also offers opportunity to learn and share in cultural experiences for the entire community. I am very excited to explore this area in particular more in depth.
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