Editor’s note: The Fort Smith Metro Daily News Executive Summary series is focused on looking under the title, so to speak, of a business, government, and non-profit executive in the Fort Smith metro.
Jennifer Goodson has been library director of the Fort Smith Public Library since 2004. Born and raised in Fort Smith, she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in print/news journalism. She earned a master’s degree and a Certificate of Advanced Study in library and information studies from the University of Oklahoma.
For 12 years she worked at the library at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, where she held a variety of positions including reference librarian, head of reference services, and head of access services.
Goodson has spent much of her professional career fighting librarian stereotypes. She has never worn her hair in a bun and wears contacts, not glasses. She rarely shushes people, preferring the modern model of the public library as a vibrant, welcoming community center.
She does own an impressive collection of cardigans, though, enjoys at least one cup of hot tea every day, and finds herself wearing sensible shoes way more often than she used to. She loves reading and reads widely but doesn’t care for books that leave the reader with unanswered questions at the end. She insists that being a Razorback fan and a Sooner fan are not mutually exclusive. She is a dog and a cat person. She loves the diversity of the north side of Fort Smith and thinks it is often underappreciated.
She believes that sweets are for dessert and that sweet and savory should not mix when it comes to entrees and side dishes. She loves travel, completely agreeing with Mark Twain’s sentiment that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Most of all, she believes in the power of the public library to change people’s lives.
What was your first job and what did it teach you?
• When I turned 16, I needed money to buy gas for my car. The library director was our neighbor, and my dad suggested that I ask her if she had any openings at the library. I soon began work as a library “page” – mostly shelving books but also helping customers find information and check out books. At that time, I absolutely did not think that I would like to be a librarian someday. Little did I know that day by day, book by book, I was learning the power and value of the public library in a community.
• What is a principle or value on which you never compromise?
I have two: Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, whether it is in our routine day-to-day interactions, in disagreement, or in conflict. Situations can be stressful and life can be frustrating. However, there is never an excuse for raised voices, rudeness, or insults. We can always treat each other with respect. Second, offer compliments in public and provide critical feedback in private.
• What’s one belief you held strongly 10+ years ago that you’ve changed your mind about?
I’m going to flip this question and instead tell you about a belief I strongly hold now that I didn’t necessarily hold 10+ years ago. At any given moment, I believe that the vast majority of people are doing the best they can, with the knowledge they have and the circumstances they’re in. Put simply, I assume positive intent until or unless I’m shown otherwise.
• If you could change one thing about the Fort Smith metro, what would it be?
Our city is imperfect and we have real challenges, but I don’t know of any city that doesn’t. We also have many positives. People who live here and complain about how awful it is without helping to improve it wear me out. I get weary of constant comparisons to other communities, usually Northwest Arkansas. There is a lot to love about NWA, but there are also a lot of negatives – Traffic and the cost of housing, for starters. Fort Smith has its own identify and so much of its own to offer, and the amenities of NWA are still only a short drive away.
• There are many promises and concerns with the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). What societal benefit do you hope AI will produce?
As someone who has spent her career focused on the value of information, I am excited about AI’s power to put accurate information in everyone’s hands quickly and easily, regardless of educational level, socioeconomic status, or geography. Eventually AI will be integrated into nearly every part of our lives – our jobs, health care, education, the arts, even how we communicate. AI has real issues right now: accuracy, plagiarism, ethics, misinformation, discerning what is real and what is fake, and maintaining our ability to think critically and creatively, among others. Those issues must be resolved before AI can truly benefit society.
• How do you approach decision-making in an environment where public scrutiny or stakeholder criticism is frequent?
I do an exhaustive amount of research, seek the wisdom and insight of knowledgeable experts and colleagues, gather input from those who will be affected by the decision, and tap into my own education, training, and experience. Ultimately, I know that as much as I’d like to, I can’t please everyone, but my responsibility is to the library, the library staff, and our library customers. Through this process, I can generally feel confident that I’ve made the best decision possible with the information at hand. I’m also not afraid to monitor and adjust when the situation requires it.
• What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever made?
Leading the library through COVID was one of the most challenging periods I’ve ever faced. There were so many decisions to be made, small and large, amidst so much public scrutiny, with little to no precedent, constantly changing information, and heightened fear and emotions. Closing and reopening the libraries, ensuring that we were keeping library staff and library customers safe, masks or no masks, quarantine requirements, virtual programming, so many new services, and more, more, more. I was so impressed by the dedication and creativity of our library staff during this period.
• If you could instantly learn the truth about one mystery – like who killed JFK – what would it be?
I’ve always been fascinated by missing people. Amelia Earhart, DB Cooper, and the thousands of regular, everyday people who go missing. Here’s an example that hits close to home. After the voters defeated the library’s request for increased funding in 2014, I received a letter from a local elderly man. He said that he believed strongly in the work the library does and was sorry that the initiative didn’t pass. He wanted to “do his part” to help the library and enclosed a modest donation to the library. A few years later this man went missing and has never been located. I think of his kindness and encouragement often, and still wonder what happened to him.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SUBJECTS
Following are the links to previous posts in the Executive Summary series.
ArcBest Chair and CEO Judy McReynolds
Fort Smith Mayor George McGill
BHC President and CEO Marty Clark
Maryl Koeth Purvis, director of the Van Buren Advertising and Promotion Commission
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Chancellor Dr. Terisa Riley