Allyson Filippi

This I Believe

I believe that we are our own best advocates. I have the power to control my life and achieve
anything that I am willing to work for. It is so easy to blame the world for our problems. It takes
self-discipline and hard work to achieve goals, and I have to be willing to do what it takes to get
there without relying on others to do it for me. Applying this philosophy in my life so far has
allowed me to experience success in my education, career, health, and relationships.

At the same time though, I do not believe that this life is meant to be lived in a way that is only
concerned with myself. I have the power to make the world a better place and to help both
those I love and those who are strangers have a better life. I do so through sharing my
knowledge and the lessons I’ve learned to teach others so that they can be empowered in their
own lives.

Choosing to pursue a career in librarianship has emphasized these truths that I believe about
life. As librarians, we are responsible for advocating for the purpose of the public library (Ohio
Library Council Professional Development Committee [OLC PDC], 2019, p. 12). Just as we need
to take on this responsibility in our personal lives, we also need to do it in our careers. We have
to challenge the notion that libraries are outdated and just “book boxes.” We have to advocate
for the library and how it responds to the changing needs in our communities. In doing so, we
can reemphasize the importance of public libraries and the crucial role they play in our
communities.

Librarians are teachers. Every day we have opportunities to help patrons meet their
information needs through equipping them with the right tools and strategies. We choose to
present material in ways that are appropriate to each individual and that specific learner’s
needs (OLC PDC, 2019, p. 13). Taking the time to share my knowledge and teach others at the
library is one way that I am able to live out my philosophy that we should not live life just for
ourselves. In helping others meet their needs, I feel that I am able to have a small but
significant impact on one person’s life, empowering that person to pursue their best life, which
hopefully includes helping others in the same way he or she was helped.

I believe that we are our own advocates. I believe that we have a responsibility to make the
world a better place through teaching others. I believe that both advocating for the public
library and helping patrons daily aligns with my personal philosophy in life.

References

Ohio Library Council Professional Development Committee. (2019). Ohio public library core

competencies [PDF document]. Retrieved from http://olc.org/wp-

content/uploads/2019/10/Complete-Document-Core-Competencies-with-

Abbreviations-FINAL.pdf