Students will critically articulate the philosophy, principles, and ethics of library and information science.

Learning to articulate my professional philosophy and standards is a fundamental principle of an education forged at the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS). At no point did I engage with a course that did not challenge the assertions I already had in place or guide me through assignments that would force me to express myself among the key principles in LIS, especially the core values as outlined by the American Library Association (ALA). It was those early classes that asserted these primary objectives, and I became keenly aware of their presence through everything else I did at SLIS.

One of my first forays into learning to communicate the “why” of library school came as part of Dr. Burgess’ section of Professional Paths (LS 513). Throughout the semester, we were able to learn directly from library professionals in various sectors through a series of interviews and conversations. In my initial essay attempting to articulate how my personal professional path would be affected, I wrote that “these voices served as a powerful wakeup call that there is nothing in my career that needs to be trivial, and that I have the ability to make whatever position I fill exactly what I want and need it to be.” Learning that service is a key component of any library career opened me up to the possibility that I could find fulfillment through any position, and as someone with roughly two decades of experience only in public libraries, I found that enlightening.

The core values of the ALA were mentioned in every single one of my classes, but it wasn’t until I took Dr. Burgess’ Information Ethics (LS 515) that I really understood the value and the shortcomings of an ethical document. Through assignments like my analysis of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ (IFLA) Code of Ethics, I learned how to properly express an ethical principle in a manner that has a foundation in logic and purpose that enables it to stand as a policy that can actually create positive change. This class above all others helped me gain a philosophical backbone sufficient to write meaningful policy and express myself clearly as I work to advocate for the communities in which I serve.

But ultimately, it was the challenges in two classes to articulate my personal philosophy that best helped me define what I wanted to do with my career moving forward. As a library leader, Dr. Yates’ Management Theory & Practice (LS 508) helped me flesh out my long-held beliefs in the value of servant leadership, and the resources and materials we studied in his course eventually led to the creation of a dynamic leadership philosophy which I was tasked to present as part of my coursework. Being able to express these formally gave me a foundation in my current career that I hope will continue to grow and shape my approach for many years to come. And in Jen Gerber’s course on Public Libraries (LS 530), I was tasked with a similar assignment to express my philosophy in working in public libraries generally. I leapt at the opportunity and wrote passionately about serving in public libraries in a post-pandemic world. All these courses at SLIS gave me opportunities to fine tune my philosophy, ethical values, and core principles by challenging me to see both the best iterations of librarianship in this world and the many challenges that lay ahead, and I’m excited to continue to grow as a leader in public libraries.