Addressing the “Emerging Majority”: Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Law Librarianship in the Twenty-First Century* - Alyssa Thurston
The United States has been steadily growing more racially and ethnically diverse, especially over the past several decades. Yet, as a profession, law librarianship has been slow to reflect the country’s increased diversity. Taking the most recent U.S.
Census statistics into account, this article evaluates the implications that a progressively diverse population poses for law librarianship. Reasons for low levels of diversity among law librarians, as well as past and suggested efforts within the profession to further increase diversity, are discussed.
Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries Case Studies from the Field - The Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)
This issue brief is published by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a national network of government working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all.
Analysis of anti-racism, equity, inclusion and social justice initiatives in library and information science literature | Emerald Insight
Analysis of anti-racism, equity, inclusion and social justice initiatives in library and information science literature - Author: Emily P. Jones, Nandita S. Mani, Rebecca B. Carlson, Carolyn G. Welker, Michelle Cawley, Fei Yu
In the debut of our Academic Insights column, academic librarians Twanna Hodge and Jamia Williams assert that BIPOC voices must be centered in every aspect of librarianship.
Centering Racial Justice and Grassroots Ownership in Collective Impact (SSIR)
How a top-down coalition focused on reducing youth substance use in a predominantly white, rural area of Western Massachusetts has prioritized equity and community engagement.
Cultural Competence Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc.
Cultural competence means the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. It is a set of attitudes, behaviors, and policies that combines knowledge about groups of people into
ACRL Supports APALA and ALA in Condemning Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
ACRL stands in solidarity with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) and amplifies ALA’s Executive Board in recognizing and condemning anti-Asian hate crimes. ACRL affirms APALA’s March 3, 2021, statement which noted that the association “recognizes and strongly condemns the rise
A couple years ago, Book Riot posted an article by Katisha Smith titled, “13 Pioneering Black Librarians You Oughta Know.” Among others, Smith introduces us to Edward C. Williams, the f…
Confronting Racism when Teaching International and Foreign Law Research
By Sue Silverman One of the first things that struck me when teaching international and foreign law research for the first time was how Western and Eurocentric international law is, from the princi…
The Election of Donald Trump to the Presidency and the Crisis of Liberalism in Librarianship: The Need to Reconsider the Social Function of the Library and its Role in Critical Information Literacy and Political Education in Response to the Rise of Alt-right Fascism in the United States | Journal of Radical Librarianship
The advances of extreme right-wing political forces in the United States, exemplified most recently by the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, highlight the importance of initiating a critical and thorough examination of the function and effectiveness of institutions long believed to serve as fundamental pillars for public education and the advancement of democratic ideals, including libraries. Despite a carefully managed and revered public image as nearly-sacred spaces for freedom in intellectual development and unobstructed democratic participation and engagement, libraries have long maintained a posture of obedience and unquestioning subordination to the needs of elite social power structures, including those historically defined by racial supremacy and oppression. Under the present conditions, and despite public proclamations about libraries being on the “frontlines†of the liberal anti-Trump “resistanceâ€, as witnessed during 2017 American Library Association annual professional conference in Chicago, it is highly unlikely that mainstream libraries will be able or willing to spring into action and play an effective, credible role against the alarming rise of alt-right violence and proto-fascism in the United States. Such a role would have to be grounded in a progressive, alternative model for culturo-informational leadership and critical information and political literacy education in the United States. Developing this alternative in the short- to medium-term may prove a near impossibility as it would require radical changes in the way mainstream libraries are conceptualized, as well as in the ideological structure and delivery of library and information science education programs.
Improving Access to Civil Legal Justice Through Libraries
By Brooke Doyle You may have heard about Improving Access to Civil Legal Justice through Libraries, an initiative developed in partnership between OCLC’s WebJunction program and the Legal Serv…
Listening as a Transformative Practice by Jaime O'Connor, MA — Contemplative Practices for Anti-Oppression Pedagogy
Deep listening is a contemplative practice that assists us with dropping our habitual story lines so that we can genuinely engage with other people and the world around us. It is a practice of listening with an open mind, suspending our tendency to immediately label, analyze, critique, or
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the fact that a master’s degree is required to be a librarian. For me, choosing to pursue a graduate degree in library science made perfect sense. I have …
New Research Underscores Role Museums, Libraries Play to Create Healthier, More Equitable America
The study found the presence and usage of public libraries and museums to be positively associated with community health, school effectiveness, institutional connection, and cultural opportunity.
Putting a Spotlight on Civics Education: How Law Librarians Are Helping to Bridge the Access to Justice Gap
Law librarians are utilizing their skills as legal information innovators and educators to bridge the justice gap by providing citizens with the resources and services necessary to engage in civics through meaningful access to justice.
Social Justice, Privilege, Equity, Inclusion. These terms are all terms that each of us as MLIS students have heard with some level of frequency. Libraries are commonly thought to be champions for …
Yep, I’m still harping on that theme of the stark lack of diversity in librarianship. For a profession that claims Diversity as a core value and declares that “We value our nation…
We Need to Radically Rethink the Library of Congress Classification
It didn’t take long for Todd Lockwood to realize that a hierarchical book classification system would not work for the Brautigan Library. He was, after all, following through on Richard Braut…
Title III Part A Programs - Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
The program assists institutions of higher education serving Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian students to become self-sufficient by providing funds to improve and strengthen their academic quality, institutional, management, and fiscal stability.
Earlier this year, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) released a Territorial Acknowledgment Guide.[1] The territorial acknowledgements found in this guide vary from fairly short…
The First Nations Educational & Cultural Center and the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs are proud to support Native students in their pursuit of community and success at Indiana University.