Universal Accessibility Interest Group

Hello,

The RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Group (BSC DEI SG) seeks interested members to join our group. The Steering Group currently includes 17 members, 12 of whom are not BSC members. Our group's charge includes, but is not limited to: 

• Develop DEI guiding principles for metadata creation in relation to special collections

• Develop guidelines for creating institutional statements on harmful language and bias in cataloging 

• Provide guidance and critical feedback to all aspects of BSC activities in regards to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts

In keeping with the spirit of our mission and goals, membership to ALA, RBMS, or any other professional organization is not required to volunteer with our Steering Group. We welcome anyone with an interest in working with libraries, information, and cultural heritage.

Our Steering Group has a unique structure. We function as an advisory board, identifying areas of work and then charging smaller groups to complete the projects. Steering Group members act as project leads. The idea is that the subgroups do the heavy lifting -- this allows us to invite underrepresented members of the community to serve on the Steering Group, while not adding to the overcommitment that many of our BIPOC colleagues often face. For an idea of the group's structure and the nature of our work, please see our charge.

Steering Group members should expect to serve on BSC DEI SG for one year with the option to continue working with the group in the next volunteer cycle. Individual projects will have varying time commitments. The Steering Group is currently meeting every other month for an hour, with individual project groups setting their own schedules. Current projects include:

• Developing guidelines for harmful metadata statements and statements on the importance of DEI work

• Developing a BSC Fellowship to create a leadership and networking opportunity for early career professionals and librarians who have experienced barriers to entry, advancement, and development in specialized metadata and rare book cataloging due to their race, gender, sexuality, disability, or socioeconomic status

• Developing an online platform for peer-to-peer mentorship and community support, focused on uplifting individuals facing barriers to enter or thrive in the profession

If you are interested, please fill out this form before February 21st, 2025. As we are recruiting a small number of individuals, we will use responses from form submissions to make our final decisions. Please feel free to share with those who might be interested.

Thank you,