One day last fall, I was working solo at the reference desk in a very small academic library. It was very slow and I was reading book reviews in CHOICE. I was getting pretty disgusted by the liberal slant to everything. This slant was nothing new to this 15 year veteran librarian. However, I was fairly new to academia and the bias manifests itself differently in the variety of library environs in which I have worked. I finally took a breather, made my way to Google and typed "conservative librarians". The first thing on my hit list was "SHUSH for the Conservative Librarian" and I knew I wasn't alone.
When I discovered that I was called to be a librarian, I only knew one person in the profession. She was a devout Catholic and played the viola in our string quartet. My impression of the vocation was that it was very noble and patriotic and good. It was like motherhood and apple pie. I obviously had no clue.
When I started library school in January of 1988, I really didn't pay much attention to politics. I was Republican by birth, but didn't realy know why. In my classes, however, I started to notice that the professors would complain about the Reagan Administration and yet tell the students that we needed to be apolitical in our profession.
In the fall of 1988, I discovered politics. George H.W. Bush was running against Dukakis. Through the guidance of my dad and a column by George F. Will, I was now able to articulate why I was a conservative. Because I was still immersed in my studies and becomming a children's librarian, I still didn't really think about the liberal nature of the profession. I didn't yet realize that caring about the poor or the environment or free speech were liberal concepts. I was a Christian and believed in the Constitution. I thought that a lot of those freedoms were already guaranteed in that perfect document.
I had a couple of short term positions before I took a position as a Young Adult librarian in a small, under-funded library in an affluent, politically conservative community. Because of the make up of the community, I didn't directly have much trouble with my values conflicting with the demands of the job. Ironically, a man complained that a popular set of encyclopedias were anti-Christian. With all of my deeply rooted Christian and conservative values, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why he felt that way. The set remained on the shelf and I can't imagine a public library without it.
I didn't really need to buy a copy of every crummy, titilating teen book published. Budget constraints were on my side and I tried to buy titles that would endure. If a teen book with sexual themes for example, received an excellent review regarding its' literary merits, I probably bought a copy. I tried ignore my personal bias and represent the best literature. Sometimes however, I would buy a book based on a review or recommendation and be absolutely appalled when the book would arrive. I always advised parents that they need to be aware of what their children are reading because I can't read everything.
The staff at that library was probably more liberal, but not in an adversarial way. One of the librarians was a strict vegan. I sometimes felt ashamed when I would wear my black leather jacket with the fringe on it and he reminded me that it is better to wear it than to let the animal die in vain. The worst thing was that I lost a lot of respect for a dear friend and colleague when she thought that Hillary Clinton deserved the honor of woman of the year. During that era, I just couldn't believe even the democrats liked her and her husband.
In the winter of 1996, I took the big jump, the huge leap of faith. Little "Miss Suburb" took a position at the main branch of a large urban library. I joined the department responsible for community information and referral. As my new boss described the position, "helping people get welfare and other handouts. In order to live with my conservative self, I thought of it as helping people help themselves. I spent most of my time calling human service agencies to find out what services they offer, entering descriptions into a database and indexing the services. This database was used by librarians who manned the information and referral desk and other I&R providers in the community. However, every Christmas, even the most liberal of the liberal librarians became pretty jaded. Every fall, we compiled a listing of all of the agencies that provided Christmas Baskets and gifts for those in need. At first, the novice on the referral desk feels so good helping those less fortunate find gifts for their children. However, by the next year, those same people call in October, because they had waited too long the year before...they've learned to work the system and they are not ashamed. I always wished I could give them the number for free job training instead, but they weren't interested in that program, just the free food and toys.
I became more and more conservative during this time period as I learned how the liberal mind worked and how it enslaved the poor in the "system". I know it sounds cliche, but I was much more interested in giving folks a hand up and not a hand out.
Working at the information and referral desk, did help me to discover a couple of like-minded individuals. Ironically, it was from working at the I&R desk and talking to me that my really good friend renewed her Catholic faith and converted to conservatism. At the time of the 2000 campaign, we formed a group called, "Librarians for Laura". While there were only four of us, we stuck together.
Speaking of the 2000 Election season, oh what fun it was in the big city. My library was located across the street from a major university where Al Gore came to speak. Boy was I glad I didn't have to work that Saturday!
After the conventions I got very brave and drove to work everyday with my Bush/Cheney sticker on my car. I just figured that God would protect me and he did. Most of the people at work knew my politics and didn't totally give me a hard time. I actually tried to "witness" to some of my apolitical African-American friends because I was so inspired by J.C.Watts and Condi Rice (got her autograph!)
One day there was a union rally on the lawn of the library to get out the vote (read: vote for Algore). I proudly went to the rally sporting my Bush/Cheney pin next to my UAW pin. (Yes, I was a member of the United Auto Workers Union...I bet you didn't know they represent librarians!) My ex-husband came to visit me at lunchtime to talk about our daughter and he drove a pickup with Bush stickers on it. When we returned to his truck, it was filled with trash...nice folks, those liberals (oh, I mean "working families")!
While, I took off the day after the election, it was really hard to be at work the next few weeks. I remember sitting at my desk (in our office, not in public) as my colleagues followed the recounts on the internet with glee! I was so thankful when they finally certified the election on my birthday, November 26.
Shortly after 9/11 I met my husband who swept me away from the city to the country. I told him I would marry him when and if I could get a position as a children's librarian near his home. I wanted to go back to my original library career goal of being a children's librarian. I had been looking for so long to find that kind of position, I thought it would never happen. Surprise, surprise, three months after we met, we married and I started my new position as a children's librarian.
The personnel policies left much to be desired, but the atmosphere was great. Most of my co-workers held the same values I did, as did the patrons. While it was located in a small suburb nestled between city and farmland, the community was naturally diverse. People from all ethnicities, economies, and education used the library.
The biggest on-site "political" issue was the collection development done by people who did not work in our community. Several people in the county system were assigned to do supplemental collection development for all of the member libraries. I hated to think about defending a book in a challenge that I elected not to buy for the collection. I would thoughtfully consider titles, especially for YA, and decide that if someone wanted it, they could easily interloan it. Knowing my community, conservative as it was, some titles would not be in such high demand. (The high demand adult titles included Ann Coulter's "Slander" and "Treason", along with Sean Hannity's "Let Freedom Ring" and "Deliver Us from Evil".) If the demand rose, then I'd reconsider. Well, sure enough, the crummy titles would appear on my shelves anyway! (And, they'd sit there, too!)
The other "conservative" issue was part of the same collection development problem. The guy at the mall branch was buying books for us in the suburb/country. He bought a lot of graphic novels. Well, graphic novels can be fine. However, this guy bought the most "graphic" of the graphic novels. And, of course, they would be shelved with the cartoon books that all of the kids on class visits want to look at. I emphasize parental responsibility regarding reading choices for children. However, what parent, giving permission to their child to visit the library with their class, thinks about the fact that novels graphically depicting sex acts are shelved right next to "Garfield the Cat"? Sure, lots of novels depict sex, but we don't shelve them in the kid's section!!!! We begged to at least have the cataloging changed to Adult Fiction and add a "Graphic Novel" sticker to the spine, but no deal. (Well, at least the Graphic Novel sticker stuck!)
I also got into a great listserv debate right before baby #2 arrived. It was on a young adult/children's listserv for public libraries. I've been trying to find it to post it here, but can't seem to get my hands on it. What was heartening, was that a few good librarians agreed with me. However, probably due to the fact I was 9+ months pregnant at the time, I can't even remember the topic!
I have been at my current position for a little over a year. It is in a "right to try" college library. The students are all ages, all walks, all situations. The traditional just-out-of-high-school Freshman is an exception rather than the norm. I'm becoming proud of the fact we're here to help those who are "not college material" have a chance to succeed, but at times it is very difficult. I also like the fact it is a private school and the president is a Presbyterian lay minister.
Early on, one of my colleagues informed me of the political tendancies of the library staff. Most were very liberal, however, she had a more conservative bend. I try not to get into politics at this job, but I told her mine. My boss's politics are unknown, except that she is a practicing Catholic and sang for the Pope in 1988.
Ironically, the person I replaced was conservative and we both buy books for political science. I also buy history, geography, law, and music. I do try very hard to not reflect my biases in my purchases...fair and BALANCED. However, that is tricky when review sources include "Choice" and "Library Journal". I do have other "underground" resources to make sure I'm getting the best of the conservative side..."The Weekly Standard" has a great section of book reviews.
My most memorable questions were about Michael Moore. Because of our location, we got a whole lot of Michael Moore questions last summer and fall. (He did not really grow up in a blue collar community, but rather an up and coming farm community cum affluent suburb!)
This pretty much sums up my career thus far from a political perspective. I'm sure as time goes on, I'll experience and remember other conservative librarian turning points, but this is it for now.
