July 2020

Hello from the Committee for Diversity and Inclusion!

Each month we send out a list of resources that are focused on topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. There are a lot of resources included in today's roundup, including a live chat on Twitter hosted by PLA, the inaugural issue of Queer in the Cornbelt Zine, the next topic for our Social Justice Discussion Group, and more.

If you have resources that fall under the diversity and inclusion umbrella you feel might be helpful or interesting for the ILA membership, please send them my way and I will work with the committee to share them out as appropriate. 

 

On behalf of ILA CD&I,

Jillian Rutledge, Chair

First and foremost, we would like to encourage all libraries to sign the Urban Libraries Council’s Statement on Race and Social Equity. 

Examples of public library statements on racial equity:

• Marion Public Library
• Free Library of Philadelphia statement
• Arapahoe Libraries statement
• Indianapolis Public Library statement

Today on Twitter! Live chat at noon!  

Join PLA's Task Force on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice (EDISJ) for their first live Twitter chat on Wednesday, July 1 from 12–1:00 p.m. Central! The discussion will focus on EDISJ in the library workforce, and will aim to help library staff understand the interplay of EDISJ principles in workforce development and re-examine systems and policies to expose issues of inequity and injustice.

To participate, simply follow PLA on Twitter (@ALA_PLA) and log in at noon Central on July 1. The EDISJ Task Force will post introductions and discussion questions to get things started. To join the conversation, tweet using the hashtags #chatPLA and #libraryworkers. To ensure a lively discussion, we're providing the discussion questions ahead of time. So get ready to share your experiences and resources, ask questions, and learn from your peers! Has your library normalized a shared lexicon or other formalized initiatives around EDISJ? In what ways are communities of color formally recognized as key stakeholders in organizational decision-making? In what ways has your library developed hiring practices that support the recruitment and retention of those who are BIPOC? Does your library have a systematic review of racial equity? What are some of the societal shifts in a post-COVID world that will impact the public library workforce & values? To learn more about PLA's EDISJ work, please visit http://www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/edi.

Last month saw the publication of the inaugural issue of Queer in the Cornbelt, a zine which focuses on LGBTQ+ health initiatives, stories, and resources across the state of Iowa.

This zine is the culmination of work by librarians, diversity workers, health science professionals, and LGBTQ+ community members in Iowa, and is an effort to spark conversations about curbing the disparity in access to affirming healthcare and quality information for LGBTQ+ folx.

In these pages we hope you find new insights, ideas, information, and hope, whether you identify as LGBTQ+, are a healthcare provider, information professional, or someone who just embraces lifelong learning and growing. Feel free to print copies of the zine using the printer-friendly version on the zine website’s home page.

Social Justice Discussion Group: 

Starting in January, CD&I has been hosting bi-monthly Zoom calls during which we discuss issues relating to diversity and inclusion. So far we have explored articles, blogs posts, videos, podcasts, and more on the topics of Living With Mental Illness or a Mental Health Condition, Microaggressions, and Ethnicity.

Throughout the month of July we will be reading, watching, and listening to resources about the topic of Sexuality. Discussions are scheduled for August 5th at 9:00 am and August 10th at 2:00 pm. We would love it if you joined us for either or both calls. The level of participation is up to each attendee; you may actively contribute to the discussion or just listen & learn.

Resource Roundup:   

Below are the resources we’ve been compiling that may be of interest or value to those seeking to learn more about diversity, inclusion, and social justice, particularly as it pertains to libraries & librarianship. 

• Open to ALL: Serving GLBT Community in your Library (A Toolkit from the American Library Association Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table)
• Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence (Classic by Adrienne Rich)
• Fifty Shades of Gay (Ted Talk)
• National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2019
• Medical Students Push For More LGBT Health Training To Address Disparities
• Thought Project - Episode 59 - How to Classify "Queer" in the stacks
• Antiracism: A Starter Booklist

• Police Picture Books Revisited: the Lie White Adults Read to Children | Opinion

• Discussing Race with Young Kids | First Steps

• Stay Woke from Home with these Books, Resources, and Articles | Read Woke

• 31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance

• Exploring the Race and Ethnicity Question

• Understanding the difference between race and ethnicity

• Several Antiracist Books Are Selling Out. Here's What Else Black Booksellers and Publishers Say You Should Read

• Antiracist Reading & Viewing

• Digital People Podcast 
• Atlanta-Based Organization Advocates For Rest As A Form Of Social Justice

• Exploring the Race and Ethnicity Question

• White Privilege Conference
• Eddie Moore Jr. blog
• NPR’s Throughline Podcast on the history of Police in America
• Privilege Institute (Facebook)   
• Shifting the Center: Transforming Academic Libraries through Generous Accountability 
• Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries: Case Studies from the Field
• Racial Equity & Human Rights series by the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights