Information That Empowers
Emmanuel Faulkner knows firsthand how access to information can empower young people. A full-time teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools, Faulkner says he is constantly aware that “students who get active early on in learning—the ones who are comfortable in places like a school library—are usually putting themselves on the road to success for the rest of their lives.”
As part of the first cohort of students enrolled in the iSchool’s master of library science information and diverse populations concentration, Faulkner looks forward to making information access easier for people from all walks of life. “I knew this was the place for me,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to help people.”
The information and diverse populations concentration provides classroom instruction and hands-on experience to train library professionals to work with all kinds of groups—whether there are differences in language, literacy, gender, disability, age and other factors—in varied settings. Faulkner plans to do his internship at the Southeast Baltimore branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library.
He also sees a career change ahead, from a schoolteacher to a librarian, possibly at a university setting. “I love teaching. I love education,” he says. “But being able to help people get information that can assist them in their lives, that is my true calling.”