The “Real” Captain America
“Sentinel of Liberty”
Yeoman’s Service refers to an efficient, useful or loyal servant or assistant who performs or renders labor in a loyal, valiant, workmanlike manner; especially in situations which involve a great deal of effort.
Yeomen, or Yeowomen, are noted for their civic duties in the maintenance of affairs and are called upon to serve their sovereign or their country as a protector. Yeomen or Yeowomen are respectable, honorable members of a society: individuals who are considered upright in their personal and public dealings and experts in their field. Isaac Newton and Thomas Jefferson both hailed from the Yeoman tradition. And according to Sir Walter Scott’s "Ivanhoe," Robin Hood’s merry band of followers were also Yeomen and Yeowomen. In the Dr. Suess book, "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins," the ‘Yeoman of the Bowmen’ was a master archer who was able to shoot the hat off the heads of those with questionable character. Yeomen and women are known by their cunning, skill, and courtesy.
So what does Yeoman’s Service have to do with librarianship?
It has been said that, “The perfection of a clock is not to go fast, but to be accurate” (Luc de Clapiers). So it is in librarianship today when faced with the deterioration of liberties guaranteed to the public through our Constitutional mandate for intellectual freedom. The First and Fourth Amendments to our Constitution are integral to American librarianship. These rights accord all American citizens the freedom to seek and receive information on all subjects from all points of view without restriction. Founding Father and signer of the U.S. Constitution, Thomas Jefferson, summed up this fact well when he stated,
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free . . . it expects what never was and never will be.”
In the United States, citizens enjoy the opportunity to participate freely in their government – indeed; they are the government - by voting, voicing opinions, supporting a candidate or even becoming one. Understanding how the government of the United States functions is one of the many responsibilities of a free public library system toward its community. Becoming informed on the basics and staying informed about government dealings is necessary to produce contributing citizens rather than careless critics. The major role of librarianship is to protect those individual liberties which support an informed, educated citizenry with access to information - including all government information.
This is the Core Value of Librarianship.
A public library exists as a Sentinel of Liberty. It serves the public as a free source for information and knowledge necessary for representative republic democratic ideals, points and purposes. In a democratic republic such as the United States, the people are the sovereigns who elect representatives to exercise the government’s powers according to written law. The highest duty of librarianship is to protect and maintain this constitutional system and the values established by our constitutional legacy.
This is the Yeoman’s Service.
The Father of the American Constitution, James Madison, wrote this: “A popular government, without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their OWN Governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.” (When using the term “popular government,” Mr. Madison is referring to a political power which resides with the people, not with a monarch or elite group such as czars. Two types of popular government exist: democracy and republic.)
The role of librarianship in this popular government is based upon the expectations of the citizenry. An informed and educated citizenry is the very best defense against despotic or tyrannous government movements or any laws made which defer from the original intent, or subversion, of our Constitution – the highest form of law in this land.
Freedom of inquiry and freedom of speech are as necessary as air to the search for truth.
For citizens to be well informed and educated, ideas must be available for examination and discussion. Our Founders made provision for an educated citizenry as an essential means to preserve this democratic republic and the unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Although governments are instituted among men, their powers are derived from the consent of the governed. In order for the governed to give their educated consent, information must be available, accessible and understandable beforehand. As a marketplace for ideas, libraries must be free and not restricted by government action.
Librarians offer a Yeoman's Service to the governed.
Libraries are Sentinel’s of Liberty.
The Core Value of Librarianship is to protect individual liberties which support an informed, educated citizenry with access to information - including all government information.
It’s about Knowledge - not Ignorance.
Is your library technically considered a Rural Library? And what exactly is Free Agent Librarianship?
According to the United States Census Bureau, rural areas comprise open country and settlements with fewer than 2,500 residents. Areas designated as rural can have population densities as high as 999 per square mile or as low as 1 person per square mile. On the other hand, according to the ALA/APA Rural Libraries Survey, rural librarians define rural differently: to some a library is rural if it is isolated; to another, a library is rural if the main patrons are in agriculture or commute long distances to larger metropolitan areas for work; and yet another defines rural as a population of less than 5000 with more deer per square mile than people!
Regardless of how you define your demographic, Free Agent Librarianship can be a reality in your library and in your life. A librarian who is a Free Agent is not subject to external constraints through organizational structures, influential and politically motivated library associations, and is not bound by traditional teachings, hierarchies or stereotypes. Free Agent Librarianship promotes a library professional who is set at liberty to create, organize and advance an eclectic librarianship for the purpose of providing highly customized services and inventive possibilities for community information centers focusing on the community at large.
Free Agent Librarianship is ALL about entrepreneurship and making your library the center of your community. So be one!!
Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America
