Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Communities

The ACRL Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee works with the ACRL Board and other units listed below to initiate, advise and mobilize support for appropriate action related to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in academic librarianship—including recruitment, advancement and retention of underrepresented groups to academic and research librarianship and the promotion of library and information services for diverse library users.

ACRL Committees and Task Forces

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee: To oversee and coordinate ACRL’s Core Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as described in the ACRL strategic plan.
ARL/ACRL/ODLOS/PLA Building Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity Framework Task Force: The joint task force will create a framework for cultural proficiencies in racial equity that can be used in public and academic libraries. The task force work is currently underway and a draft framework/ request for comments will be shared widely (tentatively Fall 2021).

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ACRL Communities of Practice

African American Studies Librarians Interest Group: Supports the development of African American Studies librarianship in academic and research libraries.
Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies Interest Group: Represents librarians and specialists in the field of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern area studies and advises in those areas of library service that require knowledge of the field.
Digital Scholarship Section (DSS) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee: Identifies and advocates for appropriate action related to issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Instruction Section (IS) Instruction for Diverse Populations Committee: Supports instruction librarians in providing instructional services to diverse populations.
Rare Books & Manuscripts Section (RBMS) Diversity Committee: To support programs about collecting materials related to racial and ethnic groups and to recruit underrepresented individuals into the Special Collections profession.
Residency Interest Group: Provides opportunities and a platform for current and former resident librarians, including Diversity Alliance residents, to share their experiences, research, and availability of library residencies.
Science & Technology Section (STS) Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Task Force: Explore ways in which STS can promote equity, diversity and inclusion for science and technology librarians.
Universal Accessibility Interest Group: Offers librarians, support staff, students, and other advocates networking and collaboration opportunities, information sharing and programming to promote accessibility in academic libraries.
Women & Gender Studies Section: Discusses, promotes, and supports women's studies collections and services in academic and research libraries.

Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS)

The ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS) actively works across the ALA Organization and with membership to consult, facilitate, coordinate and train on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion within membership, the field of librarianship, and our communities.

Learn more about ODLOS.

ALA Diversity Activities

Committee on Diversity (COD): Provides a forum to research, monitor, discuss, and address national diversity issues and trends.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Implementation Working Group: Works to implement the recommendations of the Task Force on EDI with the units designated by the Task Force final report
Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT)
Rainbow Roundtable: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table of the American Library Association
Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds Committee
Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) Works to make ALA more democratic and to establish progressive priorities not only for the Association but also for the entire profession
Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship

Diversity Activities within other ALA Divisions

ALSC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within ALSC Implementation Task Force
ALSC Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers Committee
ALSC Pure Belpré Award Selection Committee
ALSC Pura Belpré Expansion Task Force
ALSC Batchelder Award Selection Committee
ASGCLA Accessibility Assembly
ASGCLA Guidelines for Library & Information Services for the American Deaf Community Committee
ASGCLA Bridging Deaf Cultures @ your Library Interest Group
ASGCLA Library Services to Persons with Print Disabilities Interest Group
ASGCLA Tribal Librarians Interest Group
ASGCLA Universal Access Interest Group
LITA Diversity and Inclusion Committee
LITA / OCLC and LITA / LSSI Minority Scholarship Committee
LLAMA Diversity Officers Discussion Group
NMRT Membership Promotion, Diversity, and Recruitment Committee
PLA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
RUSA Reference Services Section (RSS) Committee on Multilingual Library Services

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