I was thinking about this today – Gorman's list is one of the first things you should acquaint yourself with in Library School 101 to learn the framework for everything that will inform your role as a professional librarian.
But I was also thinking about the fact that a lot of people who work in libraries aren't trained as librarians – whether they come to libraryland as pages or clerks or library assistants or support staff in IT, HR, the Business Office, Physical Plant or whatever.
I always assume that most people who work in libraries do it, at least partly because they love books and libraries and what libraries provide to their communities. But whether people work in our world because they love libraries or it's just a paycheque, I wonder do we do enough (or anything?) to introduce them to some of the core concepts that define the culture of librarianship?
The Eight Central Values of Librarians
- Stewardship: the preservation and care of the human record
- Service: professional and philanthropic, dedicated to human advancement
- Intellectual Freedom: resist censorship, grant materials available
- Privacy: ensure confidentiality, overcome technological invasions
- Rationalism: organize materials in a logical manner, apply rationalism to procedures
- Commitment to Literacy and Learning: encourage lifelong learning, provide literacy education
- Equity of Access: ensure access, overcome barriers to use
- Democracy: maintain democratic values, participate in educational process
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