“When a man carries a gun all the time, the respect he thinks he’s getting might really be fear. So I don’t carry a gun because I don’t want the people of Mayberry to fear a gun. I’d rather they respect me.” ~ Sheriff Andy Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show
The libraries’ retreats used to be fun with a little work. This retreat was all work, but it had an extraordinary keynote speaker. I’m usually ‘meh’ about speakers except for today’s speaker, Elaine Westbrooks. I did not know Ms Westbrooks before today, and I am glad I heard her speak. One of the first things she said when taking the podium was that inclusion, diversity, and equity must include accessibility, IDE-A for short (librarians love acronyms). I’ve come to understand how difficult accessibility can be for many people and for many reasons, and I think about it every day. So, she got my attention out of the gate. She talked deeply about IDE-A (more on this later) and how vital libraries are to democracy. She described her ideas in a way that was honest, truthful, and far better presented than other speakers I’ve heard on the subjects. One of the reasons I chose to move forward with my library degree was my personal belief and experience that information must always be freely accessible because it is critical to democracy and advanced society. Not fake news and the garbage circulating incessantly on social media spun by bots and bought by anybody looking to support their belief system, but legitimate, factual information. More importantly, it must be available to anyone who wants it. With the uncovering of White Nationalism in the U.S. has come attacks on many facets of information streams, from banned books to funding cuts and legislative take-overs of libraries to attacks on legitimate news sources. A few weeks after 9/11 I attended my first Kentucky Library Association meeting. An FBI agent spoke to the group about how the government would ask libraries across the country to hand over their patron records to help sniff out terrorists. After the agent had his say, our law librarian at the time stood up and did not mince words when she said the wholesale turnover of patron records was a violation of the civil liberties of private citizens in a democratic country. She was right, of course. It is not a crime to read no matter the subject. Period. This is not the Dark Ages. It was a defining moment for me, and it was the first in a series that eventually led to where I am now. And where I am now is sitting in a room not talking about patron records anymore but something far worse; a country whose democratic system is under full attack from within by the very people screaming freedom while doing their damndest to deny freedoms left and right. It is amazing how we went from being solidly united on 9/11 to avoiding family reunions so we don’t have to talk to the cousins that support the insurrection or cousins who don’t, calling each other MAGAts and libtards and other nasty, hateful things. For all the things I hate about being a librarian – and, oh, there are many – I’m proud I chose a profession that values critical thinking and open access to information no matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you believe. Working alongside Reinette Jones reminds me of this value and commitment daily, so it was no surprise that she knew Ms. Westbrooks, and I am one lucky librarian to be in their company.
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