NMRT (New Members Round Table)

Hello all,

My name is Maribel C. Pagan and I am a member of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. This month's topic is on Inclusivity in Libraries. If you would like to participate here in Connect, please click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

The latest trend in libraries has been to focus on building community and serving our communities. Some of our most served patron groups are members of diverse populations, yet our libraries are often staffed by a homogenous, mostly white majority.

With this shift in library focus in mind, how do you ensure inclusivity to both library staff and patrons in your library? What practices have you put in place to ensure that all have access and are included in your library and its community? This could be through a wide variety of implemented practices, such as promoting and providing Open Educational Resources to your library community, increasing Spanish programs and materials in your library, or requiring diversity training among staff.

This discussion topic also invites reflections on personal experiences as well. If you have noticed new practices in libraries that have affected you personally as a member of a diverse population, your thoughts and words are encouraged and welcomed here.

Please, share your thoughts on creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment!

I found something that I experienced at both a community college and a public library when applying for jobs a few years back  very helpful. Before the interview at both places, they gave me a page with the questions they planned to ask at the interview exactly ten minutes before. I was allowed to make notes and bring the page into the actual interview with me. As a first generation college student whose parents weren't professionals, it really helped me relax during the interview and give better answers to interview questions. This is the type of practice I hope we adopt at my library when we're next hiring. It doesn't hurt candidates that interview well, but it really helps those of us who don't showcase our talents more accurately.

Nessa Vahedian Khezerlou

Information Services Librarian
Aurora University

She/Her/Hers

Hello all,

My name is Maribel C. Pagan and I am a member of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. This month's topic is on Inclusivity in Libraries. If you would like to participate here in Connect, please click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

The latest trend in libraries has been to focus on building community and serving our communities. Some of our most served patron groups are members of diverse populations, yet our libraries are often staffed by a homogenous, mostly white majority.

With this shift in library focus in mind, how do you ensure inclusivity to both library staff and patrons in your library? What practices have you put in place to ensure that all have access and are included in your library and its community? This could be through a wide variety of implemented practices, such as promoting and providing Open Educational Resources to your library community, increasing Spanish programs and materials in your library, or requiring diversity training among staff.

This discussion topic also invites reflections on personal experiences as well. If you have noticed new practices in libraries that have affected you personally as a member of a diverse population, your thoughts and words are encouraged and welcomed here.

Please, share your thoughts on creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment!

I found something that I experienced at both a community college and a public library when applying for jobs a few years back  very helpful. Before the interview at both places, they gave me a page with the questions they planned to ask at the interview exactly ten minutes before. I was allowed to make notes and bring the page into the actual interview with me. As a first generation college student whose parents weren't professionals, it really helped me relax during the interview and give better answers to interview questions. This is the type of practice I hope we adopt at my library when we're next hiring. It doesn't hurt candidates that interview well, but it really helps those of us who don't showcase our talents more accurately.

Nessa Vahedian Khezerlou

Information Services Librarian
Aurora University

She/Her/Hers

Hello all,

My name is Maribel C. Pagan and I am a member of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. This month's topic is on Inclusivity in Libraries. If you would like to participate here in Connect, please click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

The latest trend in libraries has been to focus on building community and serving our communities. Some of our most served patron groups are members of diverse populations, yet our libraries are often staffed by a homogenous, mostly white majority.

With this shift in library focus in mind, how do you ensure inclusivity to both library staff and patrons in your library? What practices have you put in place to ensure that all have access and are included in your library and its community? This could be through a wide variety of implemented practices, such as promoting and providing Open Educational Resources to your library community, increasing Spanish programs and materials in your library, or requiring diversity training among staff.

This discussion topic also invites reflections on personal experiences as well. If you have noticed new practices in libraries that have affected you personally as a member of a diverse population, your thoughts and words are encouraged and welcomed here.

Please, share your thoughts on creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment!

I found something that I experienced at both a community college and a public library when applying for jobs a few years back  very helpful. Before the interview at both places, they gave me a page with the questions they planned to ask at the interview exactly ten minutes before. I was allowed to make notes and bring the page into the actual interview with me. As a first generation college student whose parents weren't professionals, it really helped me relax during the interview and give better answers to interview questions. This is the type of practice I hope we adopt at my library when we're next hiring. It doesn't hurt candidates that interview well, but it really helps those of us who don't showcase our talents more accurately.

Nessa Vahedian Khezerlou

Information Services Librarian
Aurora University

She/Her/Hers

Hello all,

My name is Maribel C. Pagan and I am a member of the NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee. This month's topic is on Inclusivity in Libraries. If you would like to participate here in Connect, please click on the Reply button to share your thoughts.

The latest trend in libraries has been to focus on building community and serving our communities. Some of our most served patron groups are members of diverse populations, yet our libraries are often staffed by a homogenous, mostly white majority.

With this shift in library focus in mind, how do you ensure inclusivity to both library staff and patrons in your library? What practices have you put in place to ensure that all have access and are included in your library and its community? This could be through a wide variety of implemented practices, such as promoting and providing Open Educational Resources to your library community, increasing Spanish programs and materials in your library, or requiring diversity training among staff.

This discussion topic also invites reflections on personal experiences as well. If you have noticed new practices in libraries that have affected you personally as a member of a diverse population, your thoughts and words are encouraged and welcomed here.

Please, share your thoughts on creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment!