Exploring Access in Library and Information Science
Best Learning Outcome Match:
II.a. Students identify and analyze diverse information needs of individuals and communities.
Artifact Explainer:
This artifact explores the history of access in American library and information science, with attention to how different communities have created, maintained, restricted, and expanded access to knowledge. The presentation begins before colonial institutions by discussing Indigenous repositories of knowledge, including Ojibwe birch bark scrolls and Haudenosaunee wampum belts, before moving into private libraries, college and university libraries, church and parish libraries, public libraries, and special libraries. The project concludes by reflecting on three major themes across library history: access, funding, and changing service trends.
I selected this artifact for Outcome II.a because it demonstrates my ability to examine how information needs vary across communities, institutions, and historical contexts. Rather than treating libraries as neutral spaces that simply “exist,” this project considers who had access, who was excluded, what kinds of knowledge were recognized, and how public access became a defining value in modern librarianship. It also connects historical patterns to present-day library services, including digital resources, community support, workshops, and other expanded roles.