Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Resources

Core's Diversity and Inclusion Committee is committed to supporting libraries in incorporating the tenets of anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion into day-to-day library operations and Core committee work. With this goal in mind, the committee has compiled a sampling of free resources and tools explicitly related to access & equity, building & operations, leadership & management, metadata & collections, preservation, and technology. It includes resources on training, outreach, recruitment and employment, grants and scholarships, and organizations. We welcome suggestions for resources to be added to the list.

Sections

Last updated on April 25, 2022


General Resources

Advancing Racial Equity in Your Library

  • “This webinar, presented by the Race Forward Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), presented an overview of concepts and approaches libraries are using to reduce racial barriers in their work. Case examples from “Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries: Case Studies from the Field” shed light on ways that focusing on racial barriers is yielding improved service for all patrons and staff.”

ALA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

  • Features key resources, standards, and competencies across ALA, major initiatives, partnerships, opportunities to get involved, policies, guidelines, and reports.

Building a Culture of Diversity & Inclusion in Libraries by Tiffany McClary, from the NJ State Library

Building a Diversity Plan - Strategic Planning for Diversity

Diverse Collections: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lessons for Libraries: Managing Change from Where You Are

  • “In this recorded Choice webinar, Austin Public Library Director Roosevelt Weeks offers guidance for libraries on how to effectively organize for diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. Weeks stresses that transforming libraries into equitable and inclusive institutions is accomplished by driving change from within – and in order to stick, systemic change must be enacted from all levels within an organization’s structure.”

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

Let’s Talk about Power: Why Diversity and Cultural Competence are Important to LIS

  • “As microcosms of larger society, libraries are faced with issues of inequity, discrimination, social privilege, and social marginalization. This webinar will briefly discuss the history of unequal access in LIS, and discuss the ways in which librarians can combat this history by becoming culturally competent professionals. -- Dr. Nicole Amy Cooke, Assistant Professor, School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign”

Library Leaders Lack Confidence in Diversity Strategies by Lindsay McKenzie, from Inside Higher Ed

  • “Fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in academic libraries is more important to library leaders now than it was in 2019, but many are uncertain about the effectiveness of their strategies.”

Readings & Media on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Services to People with Disabilities: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights


Articles (Open Access)

Birch, S., Stapleton, S., & Vargas-Betancourt, M. (2020). Outreach from academic libraries: Supporting our local school district’s diversity initiative. College & Research Libraries News, 81(7), 345.

Morgan-Daniel, J., Goodman, X. Y., Franklin, S. G., Bartley, K., Noe, M. N., & Pionke, J. (2021). Medical Library Association diversity and Inclusion Task Force Report. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 109(1).

Redd, R. T., Sims, A., & Weekes, T. (2020). Framework for change: Creating a diversity strategic plan within an academic library. Journal of Library Administration, 60(3), 263-281. 

Sanchez-Rodriguez, N. A. (2020). In pursuit of diversity in the CUNY library profession: An effective approach to leadership in academic libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 61(2), 185-206.


Organizations

ALA-Affiliated Associations of Ethnic Librarian groups

National Diversity Council (NDC)

  • The National Diversity Council (NDC) is the first non-profit organization to proactively bring together private, public, and non-profit sectors to examine the many dimensions and benefits of a multicultural environment.

Training

ALA EDI Speakers Bureau

  • Discover & connect with library experts in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power, and Privilege

  • Provided by the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. This toolkit is meant for anyone who feels there is a lack of productive discourse around issues of diversity and the role of identity in social relationships, both on a micro (individual) and macro (communal) level. Perhaps you are a teacher, youth group facilitator, student affairs personnel, or manage a team that works with an underserved population. Training of this kind can provide historical context about the politics of identity and the dynamics of power and privilege or help build greater self-awareness.

Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS)

  • The staff of the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS) is available to facilitate training and in-service days; give a keynote and other presentations; and provide one-time or ongoing support in strategic planning for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Outreach

ALA Programming to Promote Diversity

ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS)

  • The ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS) administers and partners on programs and initiatives that support our mission. Provides outreach toolkits, booklists, a blog, and a newsletter.

When Antiracist Reading Lists Aren't Enough

  • Has your library created a reading list in support of racial justice? Great! Do you want to do more? Even better. Nicole Cooke will show us concrete steps to engage in critical self-reflection, to develop critical consciousness, and to focus on action and advocacy. She will share her thoughts and strategies on how to progress along this path towards substantive and sustainable personal change that will in turn change society.

Recruitment and Employment

ACRL Diversity Alliance

ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS) Recruiting for Diversity

ARL Leadership and Career Development Program

  • “The ARL Leadership and Career Development Program (LCDP) is a yearlong program to prepare mid-career librarians from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to take on leadership roles in their careers and in the profession at large.”

ARL/SAA Mosaic Program

  • “The program seeks to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate excellent potential for scholastic and personal achievement and who manifest a commitment both to the archives and special collections profession and to advancing diversity concerns within it.”

Diversity Never Happens: The Story of Minority Hiring Doesn’t Seem To Change Much

  • An editorial from the Library Journal about how diversity isn't acted upon the way it is talked about within the library profession.

Equity & Social Justice Advisory Group Resources: Recruiting and Retaining Librarians of Color

Planning a Library Diversity Residency Program by Gerald Holmes, from Library Diversity and Residency Studies

  • “This article provides recommendations and strategies for those seeking to either establish or strengthen a Library Diversity Residency program.”

Grants & Scholarships

ALA Spectrum Scholarship Program

  • “The Spectrum Scholarship Program actively recruits and provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern and North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students to assist them with obtaining a graduate degree and leadership positions within the profession and ALA.”
    Note: Every year Core sponsors a Spectrum Scholar who is focued on some aspect of technology in libraries.

ARL Kaleidoscope Program

  • The goal of the ARL Kaleidoscope Program is to attract master of library and information science (MLIS) students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to careers in research libraries and archives.

Naomi C. Broering Latinx Heritage Grant

  • Awarded to an MLA member who has an interest in Latinx Community information services and wants to pursue a professional activity in the latest medical information services using the latest technical formats.

Do you know of a resource that focuses on access & equity, buildings & operations, leadership & management, metadata & collections, preservation, or technology and should be added to this list? Contact us!