Bringing it all together

The Lillian Goldman Law Library has launched a books-to-prison initiative to establish libraries in jails and prisons across Connecticut.

In 2016, J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte opened a reservable study room where student parents and caregivers can study with their children on campus. In 2018, the library opened a second family-friendly study room to meet the needs of our growing campus community. To inform the room design, the library conducted a mixed methods research study that included a user survey, an examination of room reservation and usage data, and one-on-one user interviews. This paper focuses on the user-centered design process used to inform the development of the second, family-friendly, library study room.

Diversity is a cornerstone of the library profession and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has recently announced a renewed emphasis on diversity and inclusion. In response to this initiative, this paper will review the current academic literature relating to diversity initiatives in academic libraries. Specifically, it will discuss diversity as it pertains to staffing, culture, collections, services and programming. These five areas are good starting points for libraries to reflect on the current state of diversity at their institutions and plan for meaningful change.

abstract: This article presents a case study of an urban academic library’s attempt to identify factors that influence the perceptions of students of color concerning the library as a welcoming space. The goal of this study is to determine if there are qualitative divergent factors along racial lines concerning how students use this library. The research is grounded in the theory of symbolic interactionism and Critical Race Theory. The authors then used these theories to focus on three themes that emerged reflecting racial differences among library users. This project adds to the limited scholarly research concerning the influence of the library on the experiences and the retention and success rates of students of color.

This study looks at undergraduate Hispanic students’ interpretations and current perceptions of the academic library’s purpose, usefulness and value. What are the reasons to use the library? What are the barriers to use? This study will examine academic libraries’ move toward electronic library materials and what it means for Hispanic students. The results of this study will help academic libraries at Hispanic Serving Institutions to better understand how they are currently being perceived and what they need to do to market themselves and their collections to better serve Hispanic students.

Health science libraries are ideally suited for proactive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, as their work and spaces transcend disciplinary boundaries. In 2018, a DEI Team was created by the Health Science Center Libraries at the University of Florida, with the purpose of improving the library’s climate for its diverse patrons and employees. This article provides an overview of the Team’s formation and development, including its charge, culture, structure, team-work, leadership, and reporting processes. Recommendations are offered for other libraries seeking to establish simi- lar committees.

William C. Welburn

Getting along with others is about more than just having things in common.

EDUCAUSE Inclusive Language Guide Version: 1.4 Date: Last updated February 17, 2022 Language embodies values and perspectives, some of which are rooted in systems that discriminate against certain groups of people. Over time, specific terms and ways of using language become established parts of ...

EDUCAUSE is committed to enabling sustained growth in DEI, both internally as an association and for you, our community of IT and technology professio

This training is meant for anyone who feels there is a lack of productive discourse around issues of diversity and the role of identity in social relationships, both on a micro (individual) and macro (communal) level.

Core's Diversity and Inclusion Committee is committed to supporting libraries in incorporating the tenets of anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion into day-to-day library operations and Core committee work. With this goal in mind, the committee has compiled a sampling of free resources and tools explicitly related to assessment, building & operations, leadership & management, metadata & collections, and technology. It includes resources on training, outreach, recruitment and employment, grants and scholarships, and organizations. We welcome suggestions for resources to be added to the list.

See Cult of Pedagogy's list of resources to aid educators in teaching accurate and inclusive history in an era of book banning and censorship.

PEN America's report on school book bans offers the most comprehensive look at banned books in the 2021–22 school year, with counting more than 2,500 bans.

This year, proposed educational gag orders have increased 250 percent compared to 2021.

The following text was written by Baharak Yousefi, Ebony Magnus, Yoonhee Lee, and me. It was originally sent as a response to a list-serv discussion…

In this final post on doing my diversity audit, I just wanted to share my sources and resources with you. It’s also available in the PDF outline of my process, but since these are clickable links you may prefer to access them this way. Also, if you know of additional book lists or titles that […]

diversebooks.org

Collecting for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Best Practices for Virginia Libraries presents an overview for auditing library collections, from selection and cataloging to policy and community engagement statements. Developed in concert with public, school, and academic libraries, appendices support all library types.

Read part 2 of the Diversity Audit blog series here! This year I attended a mini-institute that claimed it was about “auditing the library for diversity, equity and inclusion.” I wanted…

Librarians in Missouri are going to court to challenge a law that has led to books being removed or targeted in school libraries across the state.

More than 70 million Americans with arrest records face barriers to find work or a decent place to live.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs subcommittee at University of North Carolina (UNC) Charlotte’s Atkins library formed in 2019 and created a series of DEI-themed staff development programming to engage library employees. The programs, which included facilitated discussions, short presentations at staff meetings, and interaction with video or article content, were all intended to foster a culture of reflection and awareness. To accommodate changing necessities of virtual and in person work environments, the subcommittee transitioned their work to be applicable both online and in person with an educational hub to promote cultural humility practices. The subcommittee began assessing the results of this programming in an informal process and laid groundwork for a more formalized assessment to inform their future DEI work.

This is an emergency. Across the country, from North Carolina to Mississippi to Alaska, LGBT rights are under attack. One by one, extremists in state legislatures are lining up to slash LGBT discrimination protections and cruelly scapegoat transgender people. These are the most dangerous efforts we’ve seen in years. It’s hate that animated the North Carolina legislature and Governor Pat McCrory to establish the worst anti-LGBT law in the country. It’s hate that is motivating Tennessee legislators to threaten parents of transgender students. Hate moved South Dakota lawmakers to try to lead the nation in anti-transgender discrimination. Hate drove Mississippi’s elected officials late Wednesday night to pass a severe anti-LGBT and anti-woman bill. But as we’ve seen so many times in our recent past, hate is no match for love. Love is what moved Thomas Lewis, a transgender student in South Dakota, to face down his governor and demand to be seen as human. Love is what’s activating Gretchen Peters, a Nashville music star and mother of a transgender child, to raise her voice in the service of protecting Tennessee’s youth. Love is driving Lara Americo, a transgender woman in North Carolina, to rally activists in her state to fight back against elected officials who took all of 12 hours to decide that her life matters less. With your support, we swayed South Dakota’s governor to veto what would have been the country’s first explicitly anti-transgender law. We saw the governors of Georgia and Virginia neutralize their states’ attempts to legalize anti-LGBT discrimination in the guide of religious exemptions. We can win. With your help, we will win.

A federal judge in Texas ruled that at least 12 books removed from public libraries by Llano County officials, many because of their LGBTQ and racial content, must be placed back onto shelves within 24 hours, according to an order filed Thursday.

Research suggests that the relationship between Black employees and their employing organizations is, at best, a tenuous one. Black employees — at all levels — feel that they have not been adequately heard, understood, or granted opportunities to the same extent as their white peers. The author has devised a framework to help people from different backgrounds build stronger relationships in the workplace. Known by the acronym LEAP, the framework encourages company leaders — particularly people managers — to become better allies by: Listening and learning from your Black colleagues’ experience; Engaging with your Black colleagues in racially diverse and casual settings; Asking your Black colleagues about their work and goals; and Providing your Black colleagues with opportunities, suggestions, encouragement, and general support.

Written by Amy Bintliff

Recent years have seen a resurgence in widespread activism throughout the country. Librarian's Library columnist Allison Escoto suggests helpful resources for librarians seeking to understand—in both theory and practice—the role of libraries in a time of increased social activism.

Read Allyship ToolKit by LSPIRG on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!