Welcome, Elaine! Glad to know folks are using Kawanna Bright's assessment tool; it's the most comprehensive one we've seen. You can go to her website and view version 3 either in Qualtrix or as a word document.
Would love to hear what people think of the instrument.
Came across this recently: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/01/02/a-new-ethic-of-accountability/
And I can't find the cites but I feel someone has warned that we should focus on accountability and not spend a lot of time or effort coming up with statistics that make administration look good but don't improve the lives of users or staff.
Re: communication - I'm on the communications subcomitee of our library's Equity and Inclusion committee and I would say our strategy is evolving, and also that communication about the committee and about DEIBJ means a variety of things.
We were charged by an earlier Task Force to put together educational opportunities for staff in DEIBJ areas and we've just published that website (scroll down). We had to limit our focus to library-related learning opportunities and campus learning opportunities; otherwise the scope is just too huge.
We're going to move next to building out a website for the committee. I'd like to have a place that gathers all the current DEIBJ projects in the campus libraries (there are 1-2 collection task forces, something on metadata, etc.). Not everyone knows about them.
The Committee meets monthly and sends its minutes to all library staff. The Library has monthly Town Hall meetings for all staff and we sometimes do a brief presentation about specific topics: the new website, our subcommittees, etc.
Our minutes also contain announcements about DEIBJ related issues, some from the Chronicle of Higher Education, some from ethnic listservs or campus listservs (see the minutes for examples).
We sponsored some staff to attend a local conference and are asking them to write summaries of some of the sessions they attended and also go to a Town Hall to do a verbal presentation.
We have a google form to receive comments from staff (used exactly once in two years, but it's there!)
We haven't gotten around to developing a formal strategy and of course anything we do has to be sustainable by understaffed/overworked volunteers. One of the subcommittee members would love to develop DEIBJ resources for an audience outside of the library, but I feel that's a huge project, hard to sustain, AND already being done by the campus Division of Equity & Inclusion.
Would love to hear others' thoughts about what communication should be!
Good luck, Elaine...
Corliss Lee
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Corliss Lee
American Cultures Librarian
University of California - Berkeley
She/Her/Hers
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Original Message:
Sent: May 14, 2024 07:53 PM
From: Elaine Hirsch
Subject: Welcome new members!
Hello,
Thanks for the welcome and convening of this discussion group!
I am the associate director of Watzek Library at Lewis & Clark College, a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. This past academic year library staff participated in a DEI self assessment audit (DEISAA version 3), as designed by Dr. Kawanna Bright of East Carolina University. The library's involvement is part of an Oberlin Group of Libraries consortium initiative to adapt the audit for liberal arts colleges, as it has primarily been used by research libraries.
Two of the suggested action items in the analysis report relate to assessment and communication, and are bulleted below. I'm wondering if others have thoughts and experience in addressing these areas, as we consider ways to move forward with the recommendations?
A full review of library assessment practices with an eye towards DEIA efforts. This would help the library to better understand the impact of their efforts, while also identifying areas where additional assessment would be beneficial.
A review of internal and external communication about DEIA to better identify potential communication gaps and avenues for improved sharing of DEIA efforts (both library based and individual).
Thanks for your consideration. I look forward to our shared conversations and work together in support of inclusive libraries and equitable services.
Elaine Hirsch
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Original Message:
Sent: 5/13/2024 6:53:00 PM
From: Brian Lym
Subject: Welcome new members!
To all who just joined this discussion group, welcome! Please introduce yourself, say a little bit about your library's EDI activities (or lack thereof), and what you hope to get from joining this discussion group.
Best,
Brian
Co-convenor, ACRL Library EDI Committees Discussion Group
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Brian Lym
Director for Empioyee Engagement, Development, and Belonging
University of Oregon LIbraries
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