From Committees of RUSA: The Values of Libraries: A Report on the RUSA President's Program

Abstract

In order to be effective, public service occupations like library and information science must reconcile the values held amongst professionals with the perspectives and needs of the community being served. Such reconciliation is difficult because of the evolving and potentially conflicting values of librarians and library users. During the RUSA President’s Program “Our Values, Ourselves” four prominent figures in Library Science discussed the past, present, and future of libraries and their role in society. The presenters were: Wayne Bivens-Tatum, Philosophy and Religion Librarian at Princeton University; Wayne Wiegand, F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University; Lisa Carlucci Thomas, Director and Founder, Design Think Do; and Jeanne Goodrich, former Executive Director, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (retired September 2014). The pieces presented here are edited versions of the presentations, and are abbreviated from the full remarks.