Date: June 27
Time: 9am-12pm
Hours: 3
Total Hours: 84.5
Today, I continued to staff the reference desk. Sharon is currently weeding the nonfiction collection and was specifically examining the Christianity section on this day.
Perry, as a small, rural library, tends to be much more conservative than my library’s diverse, inner ring Cleveland suburb. Many of the books that circulate in Perry would find a very limited audience in Cleveland Heights. As librarians, our mission is to cater to the community’s preferences and needs, regardless of our own beliefs.More often than not, a librarian’s personal beliefs may not be completely in line with the community they serve. Their selection of library materials should not force their opinions and beliefs on their communities.
Sharon ascribes to the collection development philosophy of “hate 10% of what you buy.” I find this to be a good mantra for collection development, as it is impossible for selectors of library materials to be completely without bias. Consciously selecting materials from perspectives one does not personally support ensures a more balanced collection. Sharon also consciously does not weed materials that address controversial viewpoints in an accurate and professional manner, even if these titles are not popular. This ensures that such materials are available to those seeking information on the KKK, facisim, etc.