mary catherine lockmiller - PowerPoint Presentation

mary catherine lockmillercatherine.lockmiller@nau.edu | @this_cat_hisses (don’t @ me) vocational awe or awful vocation (in which you signed up to hear a librarian gripe for an hour)

GOALS! Define vocational awe and its implications for library folx Recognize how awful we all are (just kidding?) Reflect on library policies through vocational awe as a framework Reconsider our policies in light of our historical constraints Make efforts to construct a critical & dynamic library practice

LIBRARIES ARE (not) PERFECT Question: “How do you keep information yet keep it from being the property of the powerful?” -- Ursula K. LeGuin This quotation is from Always Coming Home , a book about finding utopia and never quite getting there.

LIBRARIES ARE (not) PERFECT Question: “How do you keep information yet keep it from being the property of the powerful?” -- Ursula K. LeGuin This quotation is from Always Coming Home , a book about finding utopia and never quite getting there. For LeGuin, utopia collapses as soon as you think that you are there.

LIBRARIES ARE (not) PERFECT Question: “How do you keep information yet keep it from being the property of the powerful?” -- Ursula K. LeGuin This quotation is from Always Coming Home , a book about finding utopia and never quite getting there. For LeGuin, utopia collapses as soon as you think that you are there. IOW: being awe struck with your utopia makes it hard to see what’s wrong with it.

LIBRARIES ARE (not) PERFECT i believe that we often think of libraries as utopias. Here are a few examples:

LIBRARIES ARE (not) PERFECT Awesome libraries are AWESOME!! But i wonder if we get caught up in the awe part of awe some a little too often?

LIBRARIES ARE (not) PERFECT VOCATIONAL AWE Coined by Fobazi Ettarh in 2018 in: Vocational awe and librarianship: The lies we tell ourselves www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

VOCATIONAL AWE: seeing our work as beyond reproach The physical space of a library, like its work, has also been seen as a sacred space. One could argue that it is treated like a sanctuary, both in its original meaning (keeper of sacred things and people), and in its more contemporary meaning as a shelter or refuge. If libraries are sacred spaces, then it stands to reason that its workers are priests. As part of vocational awe in libraries, awe manifests in response to the library as both a place and an institution. Because the sacred duties of freedom, information, and service are so momentous, the library worker is easily paralyzed. In the face of grand missions of literacy and freedom, advocating for your full lunch break feels petty. And tasked with the responsibility of sustaining democracy and intellectual freedom, taking a mental health day feels shameful. LIBRARIES ARE (not) PERFECT

VOCATIONAL AWE: And now...a story! About catherine (me!) and vocational awe at work in her life. LIBRARIES ARE (not) PERFECT

catherine 💗s libraries: a tragedy 6 - 10 years old: Mom takes little catherine to the library; reading all the books happens. #BestLife 3rd - 6th grade: thanks to the LIBRARY, catherine is probs the best AR reader in history. 13 years old: catherine discovers the Internet. Libraries EVERYWHERE! Because catherine has good timing, she gets her master’s degree in English lit. in 2011... Teaching is the absolute worst. catherine gets a p-t job as a circ assistant at a public library, and LOVES it. She’d do this for free she loves it so much. (poor sucker, she basically is doing it for free!) GAP IN TIME catherine enjoyed being broke so much she decided to get a MLIS in 2017! Which, you know, good time to be a librarian what with the: fake news, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, nationalism, stuff.

catherine 💗s libraries: a tragedy For catherine, getting her MLIS, meant having the opportunity to promote equity, literacy, democracy, yada yada yada… she thinks that there are likely a lot of people like her, who got their MLIS, and then found out that the thing they loved so much is super problematic.

catherine 💗s libraries: a tragedy Even though she was getting paid a whole $7.50 / hour to work 20 hours / week with a master’s degree , catherine loved what she was doing, and believed that it was okay that she didn’t get paid what she wanted (read: needed in order to not die). catherine suffered from vocational awe. The belief that a system is inherently good and beyond critique.

catherine 💗s libraries: a tragedy Here’s an example of vocational awe at work, and the way it operates invisibly within our systems: Conference theme: “What You Don’t Learn In Library School” What are the implications in this statement?

Who even says you should go to library school? Question: Is an MLIS (MSLS / MLS) really that necessary to be a good librarian?

HECK NO. It shouldn’t even be necessary to be a librarian. Pre-MLIS catherine didn’t really question this, so she got further in debt to make herself marketable in an outdated system. Who even says you should go to library school?

23513librarian jobs Who even says you should go to library school? FUN FACTS: There were 5,715 MLIS degrees awarded in 2016. There are only 23,514 f/t and p/t librarian jobs in the U.S. On average, only 33% of MLIS grads end up becoming a librarian. The average librarian’s age is 48 , so if you are a new grad, you are probably a good 20+ years from employment. Because an MLIS is one of the most specialized terminal degrees out there, you are in trouble if you don’t become a librarian. -- DATA USA, 2019 5715 MLIS degrees 33% get a librarian job This is not the answer

Reflect: Maybe we overvalue MLIS degrees because of what they say about us more than what they do for us? For instance, look at the following job description: Does this look like the kind of job somebody with an MLIS would do? Or is this a job for a programmer, a marketing manager, AND a graphic designer? Who even says you should go to library school?

Minimum QualificationsA master’s degree (or higher) in any of the following areas: Library and Information Studies, Information Studies, Library and Information Science, Library Science, Information Resources and Library Science, Information Science AND is from a college or university program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). Desired Qualifications Demonstrated experience and initiative working collaboratively in a diverse environment to innovate and problem solve. Current experience (within the last two years) identifying, evaluating, and acquiring library electronic resources including working with vendors and consortia, licenses, price models, and statistical data. Demonstrated experience in web design (HTML, CSS, Javascript) in maintaining, delivering, and troubleshooting library electronic systems such as LibGuides/LibApps, data analysis/visualization software (Tableau, Power BI, Blue Cloud Analytics), web-scale discovery products, and remote authentication tools such as EZproxy. Demonstrated ability to create, deliver and assess engaging and student centered instruction to a diverse population and familiarity with best practices in information literacy instruction and assessment. Experience providing in person and/or virtual reference and information services to a diverse population preferably in an academic library. Effective project management, interpersonal, and written and oral communication skills. Demonstrated ability to identify emerging trends, integrate best practices, and incorporate new technologies into e-resource management. Who even says you should go to library school?

Reflect: So, what’s the answer to this? Get rid of the MLIS? Fix job postings? Maybe? My point here is to show you that we cannot fix library systems unless we pay attention to the assumptions about what-is-a-librarian (and by extension, what-is-a-library). The MLIS is only one example... Who even says you should go to library school?

A few common library policies: Let’s talk about policies! (what fun) NO EATING IN THE LIBRARY! NO SLEEPING IN THE LIBRARY! NO CELL PHONES IN THE LIBRARY! NO USING COMPUTERS IF YOU HAVE FINES IN THE LIBRARY! NO LOITERING IN THE LIBRARY! NO ALCOHOL IN THE LIBRARY! (okay, this one is fine)

Let’s talk about policies! (what fun) Reflect: What sort of effect do these policies have on our communities?

A few common library policies: Let’s talk about policies! (what fun) NO EATING , SLEEPING, OR LOITERING IN THE LIBRARY Health disparities: 29% of Arizonan children are food insecure 75% of Arizonans do not eat enough produce 400,000 Arizonans are exposed to contaminated drinking water Arizona is one of the top three most expensive states to own a home 1 in 10 Arizonans have diabetes 25% of Arizonan children and 38.7% of Arizonan women live in poverty HIV / AIDS incidence is growing in AZ AZDHS.gov (2014, 2017); AZCAA.org (2017)

A few common library policies: Let’s talk about policies! (what fun) NO CELL PHONES, AND NO USING COMPUTERS IF YOU HAVE FINES Whether we like it or not, mobile phones and the Internet are not “optional”. We need to recognize that these devices: Provide directions to everything Allow people to book appts with the DMV Let people view medical records Let people sign up for low-income housing Provide telehealth apps for rural pops. Give LGBTQ people safe spaces to interact etc. etc.

Let’s talk about policies! (what fun) Question: Is it possible that our policies lead to an unnecessary burden for patrons who already experience hardship? If so, what can we do about it?

Let’s talk about policies! (what fun) Well, we could: Have health food baskets in the library! AND let people eat... Give out condoms and have health literacy materials available Take steps to ensure that we only collect necessary user data Turn a corner of the library into a napping space These are just four easy ideas. What ideas do you have? What does your library do already?

Let’s talk about policies! (what fun) What if we dig even deeper? Changing a few small things will only get us so far. We are ultimately after structural, systems-level changes. This means understanding why our library policies can be harmful, even if they are the result of good intentions.

And now...a history lesson! Which of the following is true? “Blacks” is a current Library of Congress subject heading (to describe race / skin color) In 1920, of the ~2000 Carnegie public libraries Carnegie; 12 served African Americans Up until the 1940s, a library in New Jersey was considered “liberal” because it was open to African American kids 6 hours a week An early rationale for keeping circulation records in an ILS was due to the perceived need to let women’s husbands know if they were checking out ‘inappropriate materials’ Libraries have historically used fines to ensure they have the “proper” clientele; for instance, in the 19th century, Detroit Public Library had fines for: grease spots, ink spots, torn leaves, creased pages, annotations, soiling a book, damaging the binding, and late returns In Hurricane, Utah, librarians still cannot publicly display LGBT collections or materials

And now...a history lesson! What stands out in this list?

And now...a history lesson! What stands out in this list? Our libraries have been used to subject patrons to racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia. We continue to reinforce these histories and power structures through collections, programs, IT, policies, information literacy instruction, etc… We often get better, but it is unlikely that we are ever finished getting better.

And now...a history lesson! Every decision that we make is tied up in the histories that brought us here.

And now...a history lesson! Every decision that we make is tied up in the histories that brought us here. FOR INSTANCE: COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT ALWAYS HAPPENS WITHIN A CULTURAL CONTEXT. THAT BEING THE CASE, THERE IS NEVER A NEUTRAL OR UNBIASED COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT DECISION.

Cool. Now what? Every. Single. Part. Of our libraries is implicated in the history we share. For that reason, the decisions we make, affect all of us. Recognizing vocational awe helps us see outside of ourselves and get back to work...

Cool. Now what? Which means that we can all do something to make our system work better. These are a few places where we can start: Improve library technology services to be more inclusive for transgender users and users in need of accommodations. Put together a community focus group (or groups) to assist with collections + program development. Let’s consider doing less and focusing more (not all of us need VR, AR, 3D printing, LibGuides, websites, etc.). Consider more diverse hiring practices and professional growth opportunities for staff, part-time, and adjunct librarians.

What else can we do?