Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Librarian: What are you?

Courtesy of Youtube


Monday, November 4, 2013, Austin, Tejas; day one of the Digital Library Federation conference commenced with a keynote address by David Lankes. His charm moved the audience with arousing ideas and concepts. I believe radical was the main theme he planned to communicate through his motivational Skype presentation. I question how innovative the notion that librarians need to move toward being radical to improve communities and society; not to downplay his keynote speech. And please forgive me since I have yet to read the widely respected text The Atlas of New Librarianship.

After all, I can think of countless quote-un-quote radicals, in this profession, who have done, are doing, or will do radical library, archival, and tech work. Let's see, just to name a small few off the top of my head: Audre Lorde, Elizabeth Martinez, Dr. E.J. Josey, Yolanda Alaniz, Yolanda Retter-Vargas, and Myrna Morales. Maybe there is a context for a structural analysis that should be called on when looking at his push for a radical librarianship. To set the record straight, being radical is not a trend. I think using this language to be trendy or avant-garde is dangerous since most oppressed peoples are inherently radical not because it is cool or trendy, but to survive.

Already blessed to be equipped with a working framework of transformative librarianship, what really strikes me happens to be the evolution of librarianship, especially over the past 40 years. It just so happens that the work we do as librarians and archivists is tied to a place, as was pointed out by a young librarian colleague. Later that night, at local Austin veggie haunts, the conversation continued as we pulled apart the notion of what a new term in-place of librarian would be. Informationist? The new word we hear being thrown around, would this word replace? I have no idea and would love to hear your thoughts here.

Getting back to the radical or the evolution of the profession... Today in my Scientific Data Management class, we were inspired by the words and inquiry by Myrna Morales. Today's topic focused on the ethical implications by librarians and big data. How does big data challenge librarians to be critical in respect to data sets, while allowing for conscious neutrality? Just like librarians have an obligation to their patrons, researchers have an ethical obligation to subjects involved in their research. Using Myrna's logic, which I concur with, librarians also have obligations to subjects-- ethically. What is the product and end result of you data? I am not immune to this question and I am consciously trying to ask myself right now. How will the data I create be used, repackaged, co-opted, be perceived, or for anthropologists of the future, if I may, be excavated? How will your data be used, who are the bodies, subjects, objects, and how are your methods related to your radical LIS consciousness? I radically and evolutionally question. 

2 comments:

ArchivessurroundUs said...

We as archivists/librarians of color live in parallel worlds: what we are expected to know and what we know. The trick (or treat) of what the video expresses so eloquently is how do we learn in opposing environments what we must to take back to our communities? As a friend said to me recently: we need to be in those spaces - because if we aren't then there is no desire or effort for us to be. This post evokes many feelings that are not always easy to cope with - but I strongly and personally suggests we continue in whatever ways we can - and support each other.

Anonymous said...

Space is layered. Thank you. Renee for your words!