I was lucky enough to realise a long time ago that Ruth was a guide. She was knowledgeable, clever, creative and a storyteller. We spoke often of the world and its wonders, of schools and education and the importance of life-long learning. In April of last year, she walked into my classroom holding a folded, stapled piece of paper. She had printed the university course outline of Teacher Librarianship and hand delivered it to me. Without knowing what would unfold at the end of that year, I still knew that this was a significant moment in my life and hers. For me, it meant the beginning of something new in an area of education that I loved the most and for Ruth it meant that she was willing to share her sacred space and her years of knowledge and expertise.
And so we met every Wednesday where I hoped to learn how to accession books and where Ruth taught me about every other worldly topic but.
While studying recently, I came across a paragraph in a reading titled: Empowering Library Users Through the 5 Laws of Library Science (stimulating, I promise) and seemingly it was written for Ruth ….
The library, irrespective of its time, and type, is not only concerned about the present, but also about the past and the future. The present, because it acquires materials to meet the present needs of its clients; the past because some materials that are acquired are of historical significance and can influence the present; and the future because the past and the present can be used to shape the future. Through its systematic collection, the library tells us where we are coming from, where we are and where we should be. It thus enables us to understand and appreciate our past and present and empowers us to plan for the future.
Libraries have been an instrument of socio-economic, cultural and political change. The library is a foyer of living ideas that permeates and animates all aspects of national life (Ikoku, 1971). According to Aguolu (1989), the library is a place where the dead may be said to be alive, that is, a place where the ideas, knowledge and experiences of great men and women, fully documented and preserved, continue to move the world although these people may be no more. Opara, U. N. (2017). Empowering Library Users through the Five Laws of Library Science. Library Philosophy & Practice, 1–14.
I will be forever grateful for inheriting Ruth’s beloved Library but mostly I will be forever grateful for working alongside a colleague and friend who inspired me and many others to think freely, to be independent and strong and to believe that the world and its people, regardless of race, gender or age, should be appreciated and learned from.
“I don’t believe in age, race or gender” as said by Ruth Elston … always.
Prue Car’s Post: Deputy Premier of NSW, Member for Londonderry, Minister for Education and Early Learning. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pruecar_i-recently-received-some-really-sad-news-activity-7137531014112837632-R0qu