January 2022

 Greetings from ILA’s 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 but first, please join me in congratulating Deana Cunningham, Access Services Associate at Drake University, who is this year’s recipient of the ILA for All award!

Throughout 2022 our committee will continue to host bimonthly Social Justice Discussion Groups via Zoom. Resources for discussion topics will be included in the Resource Roundup, and we invite everyone to join us and to share any future topics you’d like to discuss with library staff around the state.

Throughout the month of January, we have been reading, watching, and listening to resources around the topic of Intellectual Freedom, a subject that is certainly at the forefront of many of our minds right now. Our first discussions of the year will focus on this topic, and are scheduled for February 2nd at 10:00 am (passcode 156568) and February 14th at 2:00 pm (passcode 156568).

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 and learn. Here are some resources for the discussion groups:

• In This Day and Page podcast - The Power of Intellectual Freedom in Libraries (Jan 24, 2022) 1
• Iowa Library Association Statement on Book Challenges across the State 1
• Steps to take when materials are challenged 1
• Iowa Intellectual Freedom Resource Guide
• Ottumwa Courier Letter to the Editor: Library is intentionally broad and inclusive 1
• Intellectual Freedom in Libraries Webinar
• Iowa Public Radio: Iowa Library Association’s intellectual freedom committee encourages libraries to defend diverse books
• LGBTQ advocates: Book banning is precursor for rocky legislative session
• ALA Statement on Book Censorship
• All 850 Books Texas Lawmaker Matt Krause Wants to Ban: An Analysis 1
• ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog: Special Prosecutor Rejects Criminal Complaint Filed Against Campbell County Public Library
• ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog: Then and now: Banning Like it’s 1981
• ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog: Lawn Boy and Gender Queer: The Trend Toward Book Challenges
• The First Amendment: Where America Stands

If at any time you have resources that fall under the diversity and inclusion umbrella and that you feel might be helpful or interesting for library staff across Iowa, please send them my way and I will work with the committee to include them in our Resource Roundup or to otherwise share them out as appropriate.

On behalf of ILA CD&I,

Amanda Bellis
Chair, ILA Committee for Diversity and Inclusion
abellis@ankenyiowa.gov