Below, the reflective multicultural profile presents the researcher as a complete person with intersecting demographic attributes and insights of how these serve to inform her personal and professional aspects of work for the spring 2025 semester of CIS 650 and beyond.
1.1 Reflection: Who Am I?
My name is Amelia Hill Medrano. I received my bachelor of arts in elementary education from Mars Hill University in 2022 and a master's degree in library and information science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2023. I am currently a first year, second semester doctoral student in the Communication and Information Sciences program at the University of Alabama, studying in the School of Library and Information Science department. My main research interests include intellectual freedom and information literacy. The majority of my professional experience stems from a public library setting, where I have a strong background in library programming. It is through library programming that I recognized the public library's role and its responsibilities to the community as a necessary, reliable information resource and began building a foundational rapport with its residents, community leaders, and local administration. I am also the manager of a small library situated in a rural community, located in the foothills of Western North Carolina. My research in CIS 650 is presented from a position comprised of my academic, professional, and personal experiences as a rural librarian.
The Oxford Dictionary defines the term, diversity, as "the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc." (Oxford English Dictionary). In this semester's project, I consider a definition of diversity that encompasses the population of those residing in the geographic location of Southern Appalachia and the realities of rural life in Western North Carolina. The inclusion for this population is essential for considering the county population as a whole, as it and surrounding counties share very similar demographic information.
The American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights asserts, "Libraries are essential to democracy and self-government, to personal development and social progress, and to every individual’s inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To that end, libraries and library workers should embrace equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything that they do" (2017). As a communication and information professional, I view embracing, serving, and celebrating diversity and inclusion of the members of the community in which it serves, as well as those cultures, backgrounds, and experiences outside of the community as one of the greatest responsibilities of those in the library and information sciences field. In order for my work as a rural librarian and researcher to be effective and impactful, I believe that the integration of diversity and inclusion is a necessity. 2025 promises to bring change into our world, and library spaces are no exception. In response to our contemporary cultural climate, I am passionate about shifting the focus of topics of diversity and inclusion of all people towards the center of library movements, and serve as an example of how this intersection may influence surrounding entities like local government organizations, county departments, information agencies, school systems, etc.
My research and work related to diversity and inclusion is encouraged by three individuals - 1) Amber St. Clair at Rutherford County Public Libraries, 2) Dr. Noah Lenstra at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro 3) Rishara Finsel at Transylvania Public Library. Amber St. Clair challenged me professionally to consider what role the library has in serving their community in times of crisis and natural disaster. Her work to create spaces and programs beneficial to disaster refugees in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene was truly inspiring. Dr. Noah Lenstra influenced my perspective of libraries from the earliest days of my career. His work follows libraries as they branch out to be "what the community needs" and how almost anything is within the realm of possibilities when you set your mission towards it. Rishara Finsel was one the first library directors that I worked under, and it was through her guidance that I was permitted to "dream big." She welcomed ideas and allowed space for creativity in their implementation. These three library professionals continue to inspire my professional path and are a constant source of encouragement as I dive into my research.
In late November, Saluda Library staff were permitted into the flooded location to assess the damages after Hurricane Helene.
1.2 Diversity Focus
For the purposes of the research for this project, I worked with the information agency, Polk County Public Libraries to place inclusion and diversity focus on rural life of those residing in Southern Appalachia. This population is notable, because it is the foundation and defines the overall majority of the community that the Polk County Public Libraries serves. As an employee for many years and a life-long resident of the same community, this project deeply reflects my passion to serve and impact the world through libraries - starting in my own backyard. In this project, I began by identifying, evaluating, and reflecting on how the Polk County Public Libraries already served this population effectively, and shifted my focus towards how it may continue the same mission in times of crisis and natural disaster.
References:
American Library Association. (2017, June 27). Equity, Diversity, Inclusion: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. ALA. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/EDI
Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). https://www.oed.com/