Menu:
Reach Out to Give Back
by Tanzi Merritt
When we think about giving back to our profession, we typically think of association and institutional committee work, publishing, or mentoring. However, there is another way to give back to the profession that many of us neglect: getting involved in non-library organizations and volunteering for community projects.
There are a number of benefits to community service. Naturally, working for a cause that you believe in is personally rewarding, and your work is a small step toward improving your community. But community service also opens avenues for librarians to educate others about and advocate for libraries, helps break down stereotypes of librarians, and provides opportunities for recruitment.
Education and Advocacy
For several years, I have been involved with the Lexington Young Professionals Association (LYPA). This organization came into being a few years ago as a result of a study that indicated that a majority of the young talent in our city was choosing to move to larger cities with more social and cultural opportunities. LYPA provides young professionals in Lexington with social and networking opportunities. At first, I thought that the networking opportunities were not valuable to me. Unlike the other members, who are bankers, sales professionals, and attorneys, I am not in a profession where I need to draw in new business and make sales. However, as people continued to ask questions about my job, and I was able to tell them about the many services they could get at their public libraries, I realized that I could make sales: I could sell the library. These individuals represent a large number or professions, but many of them had not visited a library since finishing their degree. Many had no idea that the information they could get from the area libraries could help them grow their businesses and save money. Now I take every possible opportunity to tell members about the wealth of services provided by libraries. I do the same when I work with other organizations for which I am an active volunteer.
Hand-in-hand with educating others about the library comes advocacy. When you can convince powerful people in your area of the importance of the library, you are advocating for its continued support. After being involved with the LYPA for several years, I am now on the Board of Directors. In this position, I come into contact with many political and business leaders in the community, and use these opportunities to tell them of the importance of libraries. I have also been asked to speak to a number of community and business organizations about library services.
Breaking Stereotypes
I have been surprised at the reaction I often get when I tell people that I am a librarian. They are usually shocked, and always claim that I am too something to be a librarian - too outgoing, too fashionable, too interesting. As an avid library user, I have always known that librarians are as varied in their appearance, age, and interests as are the members of any other profession. Instead of taking offense, I am amused, and take the opportunity to tell others about how cool librarians are. I tell them about the librarians that I know that ride motorcycles, play in punk bands, proudly display their tattoos, belly dance, and do all sorts of other things that librarians are thought to be too boring, uptight, or conservative to do. I let them know that we don't spend our days shelving books, and that our jobs are increasingly complex and technologically-oriented. In addition, I let them know that a job as a librarian typically requires an MLS and often an additional advanced degree, and that this is not a profession for those that want a no-stress work environment or one that doesn't require constant updating of knowledge. By the time I'm finished, the people that I talk with see librarians in a whole new light. I have a great time busting those stereotypes!
Recruitment
Recruiting others to the profession is another benefit of being visible in the community. I've been involved with my high school and college alumni associations and have had opportunities to talk to members of my classes about librarianship and how rewarding and challenging it has been for me. I shared some information about the profession with several individuals who shared my college major but were struggling to find a career. Two are now attending graduate programs in library science.
Volunteering to work with children and young adults is a great way to let kids know that they can consider being a librarian when they grow up. Katie Dunneback, Reference Librarian at Westchester Public Library, volunteered to work at her high school's career fair. Katie says of the experience: "If they see someone who is both young and cool in this career, they might be more inclined to think of it as a career option."
Career Development
So, you are probably wondering how all of this outside work can make you a better librarian. You will learn how individuals in your community view the library, including those that rarely cross its threshold. You may learn about their misconceptions, as well as about programs they would like to see the library offer. You can determine what confuses them and what can be done to make using the library easier for them, then take this information back to your library and act on it. You may gain contacts and skills that can help you in your job. Amy Mullin, Reference Librarian at San Juan College, spent several years working with her local poetry community, organizing readings and events. Of this experience she says, "It gave me a lot of experience in organizing programs that I've used in every library job, and I made valuable contacts in the Southwest literary community." While community service is not always one of the first things that we think about when we talk about "giving back" to the profession, it is a valuable way to promote your institution and the profession as a whole - and you just might have some fun in the process.
Tanzi Merritt is the Senior Reference Librarian at the Kentucky Virtual Library. She received her MLS from the University of Kentucky in 2001, and is involved with ALA's New Members Round Table, the Kentucky Library Association, and several organizations in her local community.