Social Justice and Public Libraries: Equity Starts with Us

Important information about PLA Regional Trainings related to Coronavirus COVID 19

After much deliberation, PLA has made the difficult decision to postpone its upcoming 2020 regional training workshops—including Social Justice and Public Libraries: Equity Starts with Us. This decision comes after considering the most recent guidance from the CDC and the WHO regarding the evolving Coronavirus and its potential impact on those traveling and attending group gatherings. See below for more information.

A regional symposium on equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice for public libraries

The following have been postponed:

May 18–19, 2020 – POSTPONED

Austin Public Library

Austin, TX

May 20–21, 2020 – POSTPONED

Austin Public Library

Austin, TX

August 24–25, 2020 – POSTPONED

The Seattle Public Library

Seattle, WA

September 21–22, 2020 – POSTPONED

Broward County Public Library

Fort Lauderdale, FL

October 26–27, 2020 – POSTPONED

Kansas City Public Library

Kansas City, MO

Libraries across the country are making stronger commitments to equitable library services for all. Librarians, library administrators, library staff, and other stakeholders are encouraged to join us to grow the collective capacity and connections we will need to do this work.

During this one-and-a-half day symposium we will explore how power and privilege operate interpersonally and institutionally; identify how oppression shows up in our communities and libraries; and learn about historical and contemporary social justice movements. Participants will hear from libraries putting equity into practice, develop regional connections, and create local action plans to advance equity and social justice in our organizations and communities.

Day one will focus on building shared language, self-awareness and historical understanding. Day two will give us the chance to learn about successful racial equity initiatives and develop action plans to catalyze or strengthen equity work in our organizations and communities.

"Mia is a fantastic facilitator! Wonderful two days! More time!"—Attendees, Social Justice and Public Libraries Symposium, Toledo, OH, December 2019

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"I loved your presentation and talking about solidarity, resistance, power and oppression. I learned alot and now want to dive even deeper into these subjects and read all the books and articles you mentioned."—Attendee, Social Justice and Public Libraries Symposium, Chicago, IL, October 2019

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"When I got back, I changed my email signature to include my pronouns as the first step of starting to make change in my organization. A library director from our region was visiting and let me know she and her staff had a very positive discussion about the use of pronouns stemming from my email signature. I just want to thank everyone for providing fantastic resources for library staff!"—Attendee, Social Justice and Public Libraries Symposium, Charleston, SC, August 2019

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"I thought it was phenomenal! [Mia’s] energy and voice and humor and focus were incredible. I appreciate that there was time set aside for group discussion. Perfect! Thank you!"—Attendee, Social Justice and Public Libraries Symposium, Denver, CO, February 2019

At the end of this event, participants will:

1. Build shared understanding of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice (EDISJ) concepts, including identity and privilege, institutionalized racism and oppression, solidarity, and liberation;
2. Increase self-awareness, identify systems of oppression, develop strategies to address biases, and learn how to share this knowledge within your organization and your community;
3. Develop regional connections that can help you create and sustain transformative work in your library and community; and
4. Utilize case studies and equity tools to create an action plan for strengthening EDISJ in your organization and community.

Dates and Locations

PLA will not offer these regional symposia in 2020. Check back for future 2021 dates and locations.

PLA will offer this regional symposium five–seven times in 2020. The following dates and locations are confirmed and open for registration:

May 18–19, 2020 – POSTPONED: Austin Public Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX 78701

May 20–21, 2020 – POSTPONED: Austin Public Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX 78701

August 24–25, 2020: The Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Street, Seattle, WA 98104

September 21–22, 2020: Broward County Public Library, 100 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

October 26–27, 2020: Kansas City Public Library, 14 W. 10th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105

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Who Should Attend?

The event organizers have identified this session as appropriate for people with no previous knowledge of the topic, and for people with some knowledge who want to increase their understanding.

Registration is limited to 100. Participation in both days is required. This event is appropriate for individuals or small teams from libraries. PLA wants to make sure there’s space for attendees from many diverse libraries at each event, which will create a richer learning experience for everyone. Therefore we are discouraging any libraries from sending large numbers of staff. If your library is interested in sending 10 or more staff to one of these events, please contact PLA (Scott Allen, 312-280-5858 or sallen@ala.org) to discuss it.

Pre-Symposium Preparation

The free PLA on-demand webinar, “Understanding Power, Identity, and Oppression in the Public Library,” is an excellent primer to this convening. Attendees are also encouraged to download and review the Government Alliance on Race and Equity report, Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries: Case Studies from the Field. These are not required but recommended.

Schedule

The schedule is subject to change.

• Day 1 (Monday): Registration/Continental Breakfast 9:00 AM–9:30 AM; Training Session 9:30 AM–5:00 PM with lunch and coffee breaks
• Day 2 (Tuesday): Continental Breakfast 9:00 AM–9:30 AM; Training Session 9:30 AM–1:30 PM

Registration

Registration Fees

Registration includes attendance at both days of the training, training materials, and meals as noted above.

Registration Deadlines

How to Register

Registration for Seattle, WA and Kansas City, MO is now open. Registration for Fort Lauderdale, FL is coming soon.

To register with a credit card, click here to begin the online registration process. On ALA’s Online Registration page select the “Register” link next to the event you wish to attend. You will need to enter your ALA ID and password. If you do not have an ALA ID and password, you will be asked to create one. Please note: Once your registration is processed, you will receive a receipt/confirmation email.

Cancellations must be submitted in writing by July 27, 2020 for the Seattle, WA event; by August 24, 2020 for the Fort Lauderdale, FL event; and by September 8, 2020 for the Kansas City, MO event. No phone cancellations will be accepted. A $50 processing fee will be deducted from the registration amount. Please mail registration cancellations to American Library Association, ATTN: MACS, Social Justice and Public Libraries Registration, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611; fax to 312-280-1538; or e-mail to registration@ala.org. Refunds will be processed after the event. PLA reserves the right to cancel a course or workshop for insufficient registration or other reasons.

Hotel Information

Hotel information will be listed as it becomes available.

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Trainer

Mia Henry

Facilitator, Educator, and Tour Curator

Mia Henry (she/they) is the founder and principal of Freedom Lifted, a company providing Civil Rights tours to the U.S. Deep South and social justice trainings using a historical lens. Mia has more than 18 years of experience in leadership development, social justice facilitation, organizational management, and history education. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College and the founding director of the Chicago Freedom School.

Other Presenters

Joining Mia Henry at each event will be members of the PLA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice and other PLA leaders skilled in equity and social justice work in public libraries and communities.

Jessica Anne Bratt, Youth Services Manager, Grand Rapids Public Library

Katie Dover-Taylor, Reference Librarian, William P. Faust Public Library

Rachel Fewell, Central Library Administrator, Denver Public Library

Christina Fuller-Gregory, Makerspace Librarian, Spartanburg County Public Libraries

Andrew Harbison, Assistant Director of Collections and Access, Seattle Public Library

Richard Kong, Director, Skokie Public Library

Jason Kucsma, Director/Fiscal Officer, Toledo Lucas County Public Library

Sarah Lawton, Neighborhood Library Supervisor, Madison Public Library

Amita Lonial, Assistant Library Director, Tacoma Public Library

Amy Sonnie, Senior Librarian, Marin County Free Library

Lois Langer Thompson, Executive Director, Sno-Isle Libraries

Annie Weatherby-Flowers, Community Engagement Coordinator, Madison Public Library

December 9–10, 2019

Toledo, OH

Christina Fuller-Gregory

Makerspace Librarian, Spartanburg County Public Libraries

Christina Fuller-Gregory (she/her/hers) is the makerspace librarian at Spartanburg County Public Libraries (SCPL) in South Carolina. She also serves on PLA’s inaugural Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Task Force. In addition to her work with the PLA EDI Task Force, Christina leads SCPL's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Committee, a committee that works to develop library policy and procedure supporting both internal and external equity, diversity, and inclusion. Before becoming a librarian, Christina worked for five years in the marketing and communications industry. She’s a firm believer that the willingness to start the conversation is one of the most important steps needed to support library-based EDI initiatives.

Andrew Harbison

Assistant Director of Collections and Access, Seattle Public Library

Andrew Harbison is the assistant director of Collections and Access for The Seattle Public Library, where he oversees Technical and Collection Services, Materials Distribution Services, and Circulation Services. Andrew is the former co-chair of the library’s Race and Social Justice Initiative Change Team, a cross-divisional, cross-classification internal committee charged with advocating for and facilitating equity-based analysis and outcomes. He also serves on the GARE Library Interest Group and is a member of the Public Library Association Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Lois Langer Thompson

Executive Director, Sno-Isle Libraries

Lois Langer Thompson (she/her/hers) recently assumed the position of executive director with the Sno-Isle Libraries in Marysville, WA. Previously, she was the Hennepin County (MN) Library Director for nearly 10 years, where she and her team worked on the intersection of diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice by looking at policies and practices to see where the library may have put barriers in place. She is a member of the PLA Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

October 28–29, 2019

Chicago, IL

Jessica Anne Bratt

Youth Services Manager, Grand Rapids Public Library

Jessica Anne Bratt brings a high level of passion to her job as youth services manager at the Grand Rapids (MI) Public Library. She began the DigiBridge partnership with Grand Rapids Public Schools, and received national recognition as a Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She writes reviews for library trade publications, serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Library Association and on the ALA 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Award Jury Committee, and presents nationwide on “Let’s Talk About Race in Storytimes.” The coolest millennial thing for her was being interviewed for MTV’s article “In Trump’s America, Activist Librarians Who Won’t Be Shushed.” Her newest adventure revolves around trying to balance her gaming life with motherhood.

Katie Dover-Taylor

Reference Librarian, William P. Faust Public Library

Katie Dover-Taylor (she/her/hers) manages website and Facebook content, coordinates digital literacy training, and chairs the staff union at William P. Faust Library in Westland, Michigan. In 2015, she was a founding co-coordinator of what is currently the "Radical Libraries, Archives & Museums" track at the Allied Media Conference in Detroit. She is particularly interested in how to both approach and practice anti-racist librarianship, especially in the public library setting. She is a member of the a member of the PLA Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Jason Kucsma

Director/Fiscal Officer, Toledo Lucas County Public Library

Jason Kucsma earned his master’s degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Arizona before moving to New York City to work with public, academic, school, and special libraries at the Metropolitan New York Library Council. His 12 years of library leadership comes after nearly a decade leading a nonprofit independent media organization and publishing an internationally-distributed politics and culture magazine. His work in libraries is informed by his dedication to the role public libraries play in building strong communities through equitable access to information and technology—and the expertise librarians bring to help navigate both.

Annie Weatherby-Flowers

Community Engagement Coordinator, Madison Public Library

For over 30 years, including 20 with the City of Madison (WI), Annie Weatherby-Flowers has been a change agent, leading community initiatives and training around poverty, mental health, economic development, crime prevention, civil rights and affirmative action, diversity and inclusion, equity and social justice, substance abuse, and HIV. She is also the chair of the Dane County (WI) Equal Opportunities Commission and a member of Advisory Board of UW Madison All of Us Research Project. She possesses a BS in Psychology and a MA in Education with a concentration in Adult Learning. She is also a Licensed Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor.

Richard Kong

Director, Skokie Public Library

Richard Kong (he/him/his) is co-chair of the PLA Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and a director-at-large on the PLA Board of Directors. At the Skokie (IL) Public Library, he serves a very diverse, vibrant community and has made significant strides in the pursuit of equity and social justice through lots of dialogue and education. Richard has his degrees from Oberlin College (BA), Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv), and University of Michigan’s School of Information (MSI).

Sarah Lawton

Neighborhood Library Supervisor, Madison Public Library

Recognized as a 2019 LJ Mover & Shaker, Sarah Lawton was a founding member of the City of Madison (WI) Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative. She has served as a coordinator for the Government Alliance on Race and Equity Library Interest Group since 2015 and contributed to the 2017 issue paper, Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries: Case Studies from the Field. Sarah was appointed to the PLA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice in 2017. Her most recent article, "Reflections on Gender Oppression in Libraries," was published in the social justice issue of Public Libraries in 2018. Sarah has her degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (MLIS) and Macalester College (BA).

Jane Eastwood

Consultant, Government Alliance on Race and Equity

Jane Eastwood is the former director of the Saint Paul Public Library system where she led the department’s racial equity work. The Library was the first in the nation to receive the Urban Libraries Council’s Race and Social Equity Innovator award. Prior to that, she served as the education policy director for Mayor Chris Coleman and was instrumental in helping develop and implement the City’s racial equity initiative including its framework, planning tools and the citywide training program. She has worked in education and informal learning field in nonprofits and government throughout her career.

Amita Lonial

Principal Librarian, San Diego County Library

Amita Lonial (she/her/hers) is currently the Learning, Marketing and Engagement principal librarian at San Diego County Library. She is also serves as co-chair for PLA’s inaugural Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Taskforce. Prior to becoming a librarian she spent 8 years in the non-profit sector organizing for racial and economic justice. She is deeply committed to exploring how libraries can create racially just and equitable communities through public programs and services.

Amy Sonnie

Senior Librarian, Marin County Free Library

Amy Sonnie is a senior librarian with Marin County (CA) Free Library, where she leads educational initiatives and manages an innovative library-makerspace. From 2010–2017 she coordinated civic engagement, adult literacy, and youth leadership programs for Oakland (CA) Public Library. As a co-founder of the Center for Media Justice (CMJ), Amy helped build a national network advancing media rights, access, and representation for youth and marginalized communities. She continues to serve on CMJ’s Board of Directors, and is a member of PLA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. Amy is the author of two books on 20th century social justice movements, and recently published the report Advancing Racial Equity in Public Libraries: Case Studies from the Field (GARE, 2018).

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Equity Starts with Us Resources for Symposium Attendees

If you attended one of PLA’s Social Justice and Public Libraries: Equity Starts with Us events, please visit https://docs.pla.org/edisj-resources/ to access presentations, exercises, flip chart notes, handouts and other information from the training. This page is password protected and only available to individuals who registered for and attended the PLA symposium.