SLO 1 – The student assesses the philosophy, principles, and ethics of the library and information field.

Librarianship has evolved over the centuries that our profession has existed. We, as a profession, were once stoic stewards of knowledge meticulously written on scrolls. Gone are the days of togas and the true athenæum to the steely-eyed goddess of wisdom, but librarians continue to be guardians and paladins of information access. S. R. Ranganathan’s five laws still ring true in our pursuit of information accessibility across the pantheon. During my time at UNC Greensboro, my work concerning the philosophy, principles, and ethics of library and information studies has run the gamut from Ranganathan to Friere, from the classic to the contemporary. I am a historian to the core; I found myself seeking out the historical trends within library advocacy and ethics. Librarians have, and always will be paladins of information access and dissemination. We must endeavor to continually hold up these truisms and act accordingly.