When is a library not a library? When it’s online, apparently.
pIn March 2020, the Internet Archive, a nonprofit created by the entrepreneur Brewster Kahle, launched a new feature called the National Emergency Library. Restrictions linked to the spread of COVID-19 had made it difficult or impossible for people to buy books or visit libraries in person, and so the Archive removed limits on the digital […]/p
Shifting the Center: Transforming Academic Libraries through Generous Accountability
A recording of the June 10th ACRL Together Wherever presentation: 2020 President’s Program - Shifting the Center: Transforming Academic Libraries through Gen...
DEI and De-Credentialization: Why Dropping Degree Requirements Won’t Make Academic Law Librarianship More Diverse But Will Make It More Inequitable
Guest Post by Anonymous In the last year, there has been much talk of de-credentialing (dropping degree requirements from) academic law librarian positions. While possibly driven by the shortage of…
Reimagining Description for Libraries, Archives, and Special Collections: an Anti-Racist Approach
An OCLC presentation by Mary Sauer Games, VP Global Product Management, and Merrilee Proffitt, Senior Manager OCLC Research. Digital Reference Page available...
A Woman of Color Reflects on the DEI and De-Credentialization Debate
Guest Post by Trezlen Drake, Head of Digital Resources, and Foreign & International Law Research Librarian at Yale Lillian Goldman Law Library As a woman of color from a financially disadvantag…
So You Wanna Improve Library Accessibility? | PEGA-SIS 2023
Many of us want to create materials with accessibility in mind, to ensure that our electronic materials are available to all patrons. But how do we go about ...
Being challenged by dyslexia? Dyslexie font motivates you to start reading more. With the innovative tools, we clear the way through the letter jungle.
Diversity Standards: Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries (2012)
Rescinded by the ACRL Board of Directors in June 2022 upon the approval of the joint ALA/ARL Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity: A Framework (PDF). Purpose and Goals of the Standards The following standards were developed by the Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee of ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries), based on the 2001 National Association of Social Workers Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice.1 The standards are intended to emphasize the need and obligation to serve and advocate for racial and ethnically diverse constituencies.
Breaking Down Barriers for Student Parents and Caregivers with Family-Friendly Library Spaces - Anne Cooper Moore, Rebecca Croxton & Lindsey Sprague
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.
Intentional integration of diversity ideals in academic libraries: A literature review - Alice M. Cruz1
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.
Is the Library a “Welcoming Space”? An Urban Academic Library and Diverse Student Experiences - Sharon Elteto, Rose M. Jackson, and Adriene Lim
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.
Hispanic College Students Library Experience - Risa Lumley, California State University, USA Eric Newman, California State University, USA Haakon T. Brown, California State University, San Bernardino, USA
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.
Developing a Culture of Inclusivity through a Library Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team. Part 1: Team Formation - Jane Morgan-Daniela , Chloe Houghb , Michele R. Tennanta, Mary E. Edwardsa, Lauren E. Adkinsa, and Melissa L. Rethlefsenc
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.
Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Ban Books - PEN America
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.
Collecting for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Best Practices for Virginia Libraries
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.
Conversations That Matter: Engaging Library Employees in DEI and Cultural Humility Reflection
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.
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.
Empower, Provide, Engage | American Libraries Magazine
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.
Topographies of whiteness : mapping whiteness in library and information science - Gina Schlesselman-Tarango (Editor)
Exploring the diverse terrain that makes up library and information science (LIS), this collection features the work of scholars, practitioners, and others who draw from a variety of theoretical approaches to name, problematize, and ultimately fissures whiteness at work. Contributors not only provide critical accounts of the histories of whiteness - particularly as they have shaped libraries and archives in higher education - but also interrogate current formations, from the policing of people of color in library spaces to imagined LIS futures. This volume also considers possibilities for challenging oppressive legacies and charting a new course towards anti-racist librarianship, whether in the classroom, at the reference desk, or elsewhere. -- from back cover.
