A focus on archives is narrow, but I still work in a public library which offers a wider scope. With my position as it works within the county, it’s not as though I would be able to do it without also being part of how a public library works. Thinking about it through that lens, I think of librarians of all types as “Managers of Access.” Whether it’s accessing a book, accessing a computer, or accessing a 150-year-old primary resource, a lot of a librarian’s work is about ensuring equity among all patrons as they navigate information of all kinds.

In the past there was a sort of reverence for librarians and the access to the knowledge of the world that they provided. Today that view has changed; a world full of the cries of ‘fake news’ has bred a society that often holds contempt for those that hold open the doors to information. More than once I’ve been ‘attacked’ online because I shared information resources. This doesn’t upset me. To be fair, there has been a shift towards showing contempt towards those that have either not had the ability or inclination to pursue higher knowledge. Those with degrees often think they’re ‘better’ than the ‘blue collar’ worker, which is never true…but a rift has been created.

It’s important growing forward that we close these rifts, that we continue to nurture understanding and camaraderie between all of those with whom we share differences so that access to knowledge is something that bonds us together rather than defines us in a separating manner.