By Havilah Steinman Bakken
When I think about the importance of the mission of Legal Information Services to the Public Special Interest Section and the stories we are able to share here on the blog, I am so encouraged by the information professionals that came before me. My first three years in the profession was at a public law library reference desk, in the midst of a global crisis. That was incredibly challenging, and I am grateful for how my work with the public shifted my worldview. My time at the desk taught me that even when someone stands directly in front of you for any length of time, it’s nearly impossible to truly know what they are facing in that moment.
One particular interaction stands out, where the patron was working through a complicated legal research question right before we closed. We had the book they were using available for sale used, and I went through my little sales pitch with them. They patiently listened, and said they would think about it. A few minutes later, I watched through our large front windows as the patron unhooked their bicycle and mini trailer loaded down with all their possessions and cycled off.
Standing there at the desk alone, I was floored. Throughout our lengthy conversations of recommending the particular book, working through follow up questions, and discussing the purchase of the used volume, it never occurred to me that the patron would not be in a financial position to purchase or check the book. I don’t say this to mean if I had know the patron was homeless that it would have changed our interaction. I mean I recognized my own assumptions about the individual and the access I believed they had to information they needed.
My colleague shared in a recent post that perhaps all people want the same thing out of life: to be heard. I agree, and I also think that people want to be treated with kindness and openness regardless of their circumstances.
That particular patron came to the library to use the book recommended to them during operating hours because it was the only one financially feasible to them at the time. They packed up all their belongings, locked it up in front of the library, and spent a few hours in our library doing their best to work through a legal research question. The institution and the librarians who staff it stand in the gap between zero access to legal information, and tangible details which allow patrons to at least get their heads above water when facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Our work as law librarians serving the public matters, and it is important we keep working to provide legal information services to our communities, one patron at a time. Here’s to many more years of bringing about positive change, and subscribe to our blog for more birthday updates!
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