Diversity

Día 25th anniversary celebrations to highlight diversity, culture, and literacy

CHICAGO – On April 30, hundreds of libraries nationwide will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Día. This nationally recognized initiative emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds by linking children and families to multicultural books, stories, and other library resources. 

Choice launches diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, Toward Inclusive Excellence

MIDDLETOWN, CT - Choice is pleased to announce the launch of a new content vertical, Toward Inclusive Excellence, focusing on racial justice, and the appointment of Alexia Hudson-Ward, Associate Director of Research and Learning at MIT Libraries, as its Editor-in-Chief. 

ALA Endowment Trustees add minority-owned GQG Partners as newest fund manager

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) Endowment Trustees announce the acquisition of minority-owned GQG Partners LLC as the newest fund manager in ALA's $62 million portfolio. Founded in 2016 by Rajiv Jain, Chairman & Chief Investment Officer, GQG Partners LLC joins the ALA portfolio via its International Opportunities Fund, a considerable cap growth mutual fund that offers international portfolio diversification. 

ALA Executive Board supports APALA in recognizing and condemning ongoing anti-Asian hate crimes

Update March 25, 2021: Since the Executive Board issued this statement on March 11, another horrific act of racist, sexist, and targeted violence against the Asian community was perpetuated in Atlanta. In the aftermath of the murders of eight people, including six Asian women, we again amplify the words of our colleagues in the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association and join them in asking all ALA members to publicly condemn anti-AAPI racism through visible actions and join forces in battling discrimination, xenophobia, and white supremacy.

Core Webinar: Using Radical Kindness to Rethink Library Interviews

CHICAGO—Thanks to COVID-19, the old phrase “We’ve always done it this way” is no longer an excuse. As libraries have re-envisioned services and resources, now is the time to re-think internal practices too. Start with the hiring process. With the move to virtual interviews, how do you boil it down to only its most important components? How can you design an equitable interview experience for the candidate and the library?

ALSC Membership Funding for BIPOC Students and Library Workers

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is pleased to announce two membership funding opportunities for students and library workers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of Color (BIPOC). Prioritizing BIPOC students and library workers directly supports ALSC’s strategic objective of increasing the intentional recruitment and retention of a diverse membership, while reducing barriers to participation.

American Library Association joins American Historical Association’s condemnation of the 1776 Commission’s Report

CHICAGO — The American Library Association’s Executive Board has signed on to a statement from the American Historical Association that condemns the Advisory 1776 Commission report from the previous administration that “reject[s] recent efforts to understand the multiple ways the institution of slavery shaped our nation’s history.” Of its decision to cosign the statement, ALA said:

AASL cosponsors “Jazz & Friends National Day of School and Community Readings” with HRC’s Welcoming Schools and NEA

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will serve as an official cosponsor of the sixth annual “Jazz & Friends National Day of School & Community Readings” organized by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s Welcoming Schools Program. The National Education Association (NEA) joins AASL as cosponsor of the event taking place on Thursday, February 25, 2021.

Twenty additional 2020-2021 Spectrum Scholarships funded by anonymous donor

CHICAGO — Upon assuming the role of executive director of the American Library Association (ALA) last year, Tracie D. Hall prioritized the association's strategic focus on digital and information access; equity, diversity, and inclusion in libraries and the LIS workforce; and the preservation of library services. As a 1998 recipient of the Spectrum Scholarship and former director of ALA's Office for Diversity, Hall immediately went to work in her leadership role, confronting racism and focusing on action.

New York Times's 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones to serve as 2021 Preservation Week® Honorary Chair

CHICAGO—Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and New York Times Magazine journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones has been appointed as the honorary chair of Preservation Week 2021, celebrated April 25-May 1, 2021.