Looking around: Seeing the library anew
Abstract
This reflective essay explores how early experiences in a public library shaped the author’s understanding of libraries as spaces of belonging, empathy, and lifelong learning. Drawing on both personal narrative and professional insight, the essay connects these experiences to the author’s current work in an academic library and to the broader mission of librarianship as defined by the American Library Association’s Core Values of Librarianship. The piece also incorporates perspectives from librarian-mothers whose experiences illuminate the profession’s evolving balance between service, scholarship, and family life.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Library Science and Administration
Library Science and Information Literacy
Library Science and Information
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Public & Access Services Quarterly
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 66–70
- Publication date
- 2 January 2026
- Language
- EN