RUNNING HEAD: THIS I BELIEVE Hamilton 1

This I Believe
Michelle Hamilton
LIS 60280
12/2/2019
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I Believe in Treating Others with Compassion and Empathy

My grandmother was born into a family of eight children in the 1930’s. Her mother was a

very kind and maternal woman, but her father was aloof and uncaring. He denied all of his

children basic care, and left them without a way to make ends meet. They fell into poverty and,

through a series of unfortunate events, my grandmother and her siblings were put into an

orphanage. Denied a true childhood because of the mistreatment of others, and a lack of

compassion and care in all her foster homes, my grandmother suffered for years because she was

separated from her siblings. However, one day she met a man who showed her care, kindness,

and affection. This man was my grandfather. He listened, was compassionate, and vowed to

improve my grandmother’s life. He eventually helped her reconnect with her siblings, and when

they were married, provided her with a stable lifestyle. These experiences shaped my

grandmother into the woman she became and influenced the things she taught her children and

grandchildren. I was taught to always listen to others with an open mind and heart. However, her

most important lesson, and something that I still believe in today, is treating others with

compassion and empathy.

While earning my master’s degree, I have learned a lot about youth library service to

further my career goal of becoming a teen librarian. One of the main core values of teen library

service is compassion, or “showing concern, empathy, and consideration for the needs and values

of others” (American Library Association, 2016). It was very important to my grandmother that I

understood, at a young age, that it is important to listen to others, consider their needs, and help

them whenever I am able. I have carried a belief in compassion and empathy for others my entire

life, and I will continue to do so throughout my career. This belief also coincides with another
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core value of teen library service: social responsibility. Being a teen librarian means being

someone who “advocates for the educational, developmental, and recreational needs of teens,

especially as they relate to library service” (American Library Association, 2016). As a future

teen librarian, I will listen to my patrons and provide very user focused service. By actively

listening to this age group, I can identify the needs of teen patrons, and connect them with the

tools they need to meet their information needs. Also, by connecting with teens and

understanding what they expect of library service, I will be able to articulate their perspective to

fellow staff members and help diffuse any possible friction between these groups. Overall, I

believe that showing compassion and empathy is essential to the improvement of social

interaction and, by extension, teen library service.

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References

American Library Association. (2016, February 24). Core professional values for the teen

services profession. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/core-professional-values-

teen-services-profession.