Competency O: Global Issues & Libraries
“The problem of labor in India is gargantuan.”
“What’s ‘gargantuan,’ Auntie Mame?”
“On the plane, I’ll give you a pad and paper,
and you can write down all the words you don’t understand.”Mame Dennis and Michael Dennis, Auntie Mame
Introduction
Librarianship matters in our hometowns. Information science matters in our homes, our businesses, in our daily plans, and throughout our daily lives. But what about all the other people around the world? Does information science matter to us in places where we might never go or for people we might never see? The answer: of course, it does, because we are all human beings who require the same basic needs, need the same level of acceptance, and thus the same level of education, understanding, and opportunities that anyone in the United States or another G6 country would require or desire.
Diplomacy is Key
Mariano (2024) outlines the dramatic need for diplomacy and understanding on the part of libraries in the United States. Much as the United States itself is prone to affecting global policy, so as well are our libraries. I’m certain that the Library of Congress is no exception, as this seems to be a library revered by many American citizens, and so I am certain that those who are fans of the United States abroad have secret dreams of visiting one day, alongside the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian, and all the other landmarks of the birthplace of our nation. Mariano (2024) goes on to say that public outreach and communication are some of the highest priorities for United States library and information science (LIS) professionals in general, and this almost certainly includes those coming from other countries to immigrate to the United States.
International Perspectives Benefit All
Hadfield (2024) reviews a book entitled The Internationalization of the Academic Library in which she compares her forcibly global perspective in New Zealand to the experiences of academic institutions worldwide. By forcibly, I mean to say that Hadfield (2024) muses that in a small place such as New Zealand, one cannot afford to be anything but globalized and forward-thinking. Hadfield (2024) ultimately outlines this landmark work by Emmett Lombard, stating that academic libraries are found to be a favorable environment for differing worldviews and welcoming of international students.
A Valuable Exchange of Information
In another study by Gregor et al. (2023), the impact of a ten-year exchange program between Fudan University and Appalachian State University is reviewed. The Fudan University and Appalachian State University Exchange Program (FALEP) was comprised of seven students from Fudan University and five from Appalachian State University and was designed to support Appalachian State University’s strategic plan of globalization and gaining an international perspective and interest. Some of the consequences of this change are as follows: “…librarians learned from one another discussed solutions to common problems, and published together. The Reference and Instruction librarian discussed teaching methods with the App State Coordinator of Information Literacy and incorporated new methods into her lessons. Two Chinese MILS students interned in the App State University Libraries, took a library science course under an App State professor, and conducted literature reviews for their thesis research.”
Undoubtedly, the outcomes of FALEP were desirable and successful, as students from both locales were able to gain experience and insight from the very different environments of Boone, NC, and Shanghai, China. While there were many challenges and pitfalls, such as a language barrier between the differing students, this was also indicated as being a net positive.
Conclusion
While international communication and understanding are not always easy, it is an activity that is entirely worthwhile and rewarding. Outcomes from these outreach activities are typically positive, and global understanding of opposing cultures and beliefs benefits everyone worldwide as a result. The United States (and New Zealand, for that matter) should undoubtedly continue to press forward with open arms for humanity across the globe.
Artifacts and Evidence
Artifact 1
Assignment:
Course: INFO 231 Issues in Special Libraries and Information Centers
Description:
While this paper did not emphasize special libraries as much as it probably should have, the result and end goal(s) are the same. Museums, as well as special libraries, must return objects that have been taken unfairly, stolen, or are being kept against the wishes of other countries and steward these items only when asked by the country of origin. The ethical duties of museum curators, special librarians, and other Gallery, Library, Archive, and Museum (GLAM) information professionals are hugely important to the integrity and diplomacy of the United States and other highly developed countries, such as the United Kingdom. The United States has to lead the world in these apologetic endeavors and to right the wrongs of colonizing ancestors who took what was not rightfully theirs. It is not a trivial topic that we face; in fact, the desire for white museum and library professionals to maintain the status quo is not only shocking but also embarrassing and makes a terrible impression on the citizens of the United States.
Artifact 2
Assignment:
Course: INFO 200 Information Communities
Description:
A landmark research paper completed early in my Libary and Information Science (MLIS) career. Disabilities of the type mentioned within, aka the struggles of the blind and visually impaired (BVI) community, are an international problem that knows no difference of skin color, age, height, or weight. My struggles with sight and the complex issues I have faced with other disabilities led me to passionately write this paper with gusto, and I still carry much of the information that I learned from this research with me today. My interest in accessibility and diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) stems from this research and I likely would not have begun to study standards such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) without having first completed this paper. Already interested in the global perspective, this research only deepened my desire to help others, particularly here at home but also abroad whenever possible. It’s never too early or too late to care about one’s fellow human beings, and this paper enshrines that core value within it always.
Artifact 3
Assignment:
Course: INFO 281 Accessibility in Libraries
Description:
Though this summary is brief, it contains information that is also important to me, as I struggle with multiple disabilities related to neurodivergence. While it was written from a local perspective, there is always room to investigate and ruminate on this topic. Mental health is still a topic that baffles, frightens, and creates avoidance in many people, particularly in the United States. Other locales that have not been privy to a mindset of colonization have accepted mental differences as blessings, mysteries, or something to have a sense of pride in. Meanwhile, many developed nations struggle just as much as the United States to figure out how to handle their mentally ill populations. It is a duty and a privilege on the part of librarians to be trauma-informed, patient, and kind when it comes to these sometimes stressful and even confusing conditions that so many citizens, both here and abroad, face. As global issues like climate change continue to stress the seams of life on Earth, we must give grace to those who haven’t been able to handle the pressure.
References
Gregor, M., Shi, W., & Shao, X. (2023). The value and impact of the Fudan University-Appalachian State University librarian exchange: Perceptions of participating librarians. Journal of Library Administration, 63(8), 975–988.
Hadfield, A. (2024). The internationalization of the academic library. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 73(1), 110–111.
Mariano, R. (2024). Understanding US library diplomacy practices in the 21st century. IFLA Journal, 50(2), 211–227