LibGuides: Diversity, Equity, &amp; Inclusion at the Cowan-Blakley Memorial Library: For Library Faculty and Staff

When Antiracist Reading Lists Aren't Enough

When Antiracist Reading Lists Aren't Enough
Dr. Nicole Cooke is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina. Her research and teaching interests include human information behavior, critical cultural information studies, and diversity, and social justice in librarianship. Dr. Cooke will show us concrete steps to engage in critical self-reflection, to develop critical consciousness, and to focus on action and advocacy. She will share her thoughts and strategies on how to progress along this path towards substantive and sustainable personal change that will in turn change society.

American Sign Language for Librarians

Always Use the Microphone

Always Use the Microphone
Kate Diebel, inclusion and accessibility librarian at Syracuse University, offers some excellent starting points for thinking about access in libraries.

Deibel offers these challenges to grasping accessibility issues in libraries:

Accessibility is Complex. "[Libraries] have many working parts with working parts underneath," she said. Physical spaces, people, holdings, and technology all need to be accessible.
Disability is Diverse. There are many types of disability that affect people to a different extent and in different combinations.
Motivation. People react well to positive encouragement, but often don't follow through. Meanwhile punishing people for non-compliance creates ill will.
Myths are Prevalent. "Sometimes you have to have a sense of reality," she said. It's impossible to make something 100% accessible to everyone, and it's a myth that things that aren't accessible can't be used at all by people with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are required for a reason; it's impossible to meet every need all of the time.

Other Resources

Digital Inclusion in Library Context: A Perspective from Users with Print Disability
Digital inclusion is a strategy pursued to foster social inclusion of those who have been sidelined from the mainstream of
information society due to lack of access to digital technologies and the skills to use them. Libraries have been working to close
the gap by providing access to computers, the Internet, digital content, and digital literacy programs. This paper commits to
exploring the concept of access to digital content from the perspective of people with print disabilities.
Diversity and Inclusion
Too often, diversity and inclusion aren’t recognized as vital assets to the performance of an organization. Instead, they are relegated to the HR department and often viewed as merely token programs—not key parts of long-term vitality and success, particularly in the area of leadership development and growth. Today’s workplace, however, has departed from the traditional hierarchical model and transitioned into flatter and less-structured paradigms. Accordingly, the means and methods of leadership development also are changing. As organizations evolve, diversity and inclusion are becoming more integral to cultivating strong leaders and strong
organizations.
Implementing accessibility initiatives at the Michigan State University Libraries
Describes a variety of accessibility initiatives implemented at the Michigan State University (MSU) Libraries to better support persons with disabilities who want to use and access library services and resources.
Librarians Working with Diverse Populations: What Impact Does Cultural Competency Training Have on Their Efforts?
Our society is one of many cultures, languages, abilities, preferences, and backgrounds and providing the optimal library experience to all constituencies is clearly at the forefront of librarians' service goals. Working effectively with diverse cultures is of ever-increasing importance.
Managing Confrontation in Multicultural Teams
Everyone knows that a little confrontation from time to time is constructive, right? But what if you come from a culture where confrontation is downright rude? Or what if you just happen to have people from such cultures on your team?
Leading by Diversifying Collections A Guide for Academic Library Leadership
This guide will be of interest to a broader audience interested in diversifying library collections, including especially those who will partner with leadership to realize the library’s goals in the area of DEI