Library and Information Science Commons^™

Conversations That Matter: Engaging Library Employees In Dei And Cultural Humility Reflection, Angel Truesdale, Kimberly Looby, Christin Lampkowski, Abby Moore

Urban Library Journal

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 …

Implementing Excellence In Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In The Library Workforce: Tips To Overcome Challenges, Kanu A. Nagra, Bernadette M. López-Fitzsimmons

Publications and Research

Diversifying the library workforce is challenging, with the graduation data of library and information science degrees not representing equity in demographics for diverse populations. Is this the reason for the lack of diversity among library staff or are recruitment practices not based on measurable performance standards? Both questions call upon the library and information science (LIS) profession to address diverse staffing issues to remedy these challenges.

Inclusivity In Children’S Services Within The School And Public Library, Phoebe Levin

Student Theses

The children's library has the potential to not only aid in knowledge-seeking conquests but to help establish a relationship of acceptance between the differences spewing from the child's own self, and the diversity of their peers. The increasing rate of underrepresented peoples in America, and the growing number of representative titles, have contributed to the trend of diversity and inclusivity in the library.

The efforts to make the library diverse and representative have been an ongoing struggle, yet in recent times efforts have proved that the exposure of diversity and inclusivity is beneficial to children. While examining how diversity and …

Advocating For Social Justice And Diverse Voices In The Virtual World, Annie E. Tummino, Jo-Ann Wong

Publications and Research

Queens Memory is a local community archiving and oral history project, co-administered by Queens Public Library and Queens College, CUNY. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, all projects and programs were required to move to a virtual setting. While under these restricted measures, members from both institutions found an opportunity to embark on a collaborative virtual event series for our respective library communities. The programs covered current events and their historical contexts, social justice, and creating positive social change. Key ingredients fueling the success of this initiative included building relationships with multiple co-sponsors; bringing together multigenerational, diverse panelists; and creative use …

“How Can We Do Better?”: Empowering Diverse Voices Through An Academic/Public Library Partnership, Annie E. Tummino, Jo-Ann Wong

Publications and Research

Queens Memory is a local community archiving and oral history project, co-administered by Queens Public Library and Queens College, CUNY. During COVID-19, members from both institutions collaborated to create a series of virtual roundtables hosted on Facebook Live, centered on social justice, current events, and creating positive social change. Specific examples include xenophobia and Asian Americans during COVID-19; the Black Lives Matter movement; student activism and political engagement; and equity/inclusion in archives. In selecting these topics and speakers, we made sure that the diversity and lived experiences of our communities were represented, and that speakers included both scholars and students. …

Keeping The Equity, Inclusion, And Diversity Conversations Going, Mona Ramonetti, Victoria Pilato

Urban Library Journal

This article focuses on the challenges and successes Stony Brook University Libraries’ Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee encountered from its inception in 2017 to the present. The formation of this committee was in response to a new university-wide program. A pool of more than 80 library personnel made quick and thoughtful decisions to determine the composition of the Committee. In the months that followed, members learned to navigate the challenges of goal setting, collaborating with others outside the library, funding, event planning, and marketing. One of the primary goals of the Committee was to initiate and maintain conversations and collaborations …

“There Is Nothing Inherently Mysterious About Assistive Technology”: A Qualitative Study About Blind User Experiences In Us Academic Libraries, Adina Mulliken

Publications and Research

Eighteen academic library users who are blind were interviewed about their experiences with academic libraries and the libraries’ websites using an open-ended questionnaire and recorded telephone interviews. The study approaches these topics from a user-centered perspective, with the idea that blind users themselves can provide particularly reliable insights into the issues and potential solutions that are most critical to them. Most participants used reference librarians’ assistance, and most had positive experiences. High-level screen reader users requested help with specific needs. A larger number of participants reported contacting a librarian because of feeling overwhelmed by the library website. In some cases, …

Inequalities In Publishing, Charlotte Roh

Urban Library Journal

No abstract.

Acogiendo A Comunidades Diversas: Las Bibliotecas De City College En Nueva York, Daisy Dominguez, Sarah Aponte

Publications and Research

Daisy Domínguez y Sarah Aponte, desde su experiencia en el City College of New York y el Instituto de Estudios Dominicanos, ofrecen un panorama de la diversidad de los estudiantes y las diferentes actividades que, desde la biblioteca, han realizado para integrarlos.

Technology, Diversity, Web Accessibility, And Ala Accreditation Standards In Mlis, Adina Mulliken

Publications and Research

This paper discusses an interconnection between diversity and technology: web accessibility for all, including people with disabilities. Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight MLIS professors and two students or recent alumni. Findings showed attitudes regarding teaching web accessibility and recruitment of a diverse student body varied between professors who were familiar with web accessibility and those who were not. Participants who were familiar with web accessibility often thought it should be included within ALA Standards for Accreditation. Findings suggested that, in one school, incorporating diversity in their curriculum, including web accessibility, allowed recruitment of a more diverse student body and …

Perception Of Librarians Of Color About The Relationship Between Retention & Advancement As Middle Managers, Kimberley Bugg

Publications and Research

This poster highlights the results of a study that explored the interrelationship between retention and advancement for academic librarians of color in middle management positions. Themes that emerged included: the prevalence of internal promotions, lack of interest in senior leadership, and emphasis on leadership institutes. Several recommendations are offered for how the profession might increase opportunities for librarians of color to advance beyond middle management and increase interest in filling openings in library leadership positions.