Diversity, Equity, and Justice
The library has a fundamental commitment to provide “a welcoming environment where all members of our community feel like they belong,” and “we strive for equity, diversity and inclusion through every aspect of our resources and services. This includes accessible spaces, diverse collections, and responsive policies and programming.” Following the call and lead of Pres. Mary Hinton, we recognize we must incorporate equity, diversity, and justice education and action into the fabric of our professional work. To that end, this page will document our work toward the goals identified in Pres. Hinton’s Aug. 31, 2020 Report on Inclusion, Diversity, and Justice at Hollins. We will update this page with progress toward our goals.
Need to increase diverse representation on campus
The library looks forward to ensuring our next searches utilize the best practices identified in Pres. Hinton’s report, including the inclusion of search advocates in the process. The library has taken previous steps toward broadening its candidate pools to be more inclusive (for example, by blinding applications through the removal of names, by reducing the number of required qualifications for positions, and by advertising open positions in more diverse locations) and will extend this work with the support of campus partners.
Review 2020-21 goals and actions
Enhanced professional development for all
Library staff members, since 2018, have been required to have an equity and diversity goal for themselves each year, focused on their personal development. These goals have often included commitments to read books, watch films, and/or attend events that will broaden the staff member’s experiences and enable connections across skin colors and cultures. We continue to seek opportunities for personal, library, and community growth.
2022-23 goals
- Try alternative approaches (aside from previous Teams discussion board) to ensure ongoing staff-wide discussion of new developments and approaches for DEI at colleges and libraries.
Providing an inclusive academic experience
An inclusive curriculum needs an inclusive library collection, in which every student can see themselves. An inclusive curriculum needs librarians who are prepared to lead difficult conversations in the classroom. An inclusive academic experience needs to ensure that all students feel like they belong in every part of campus, including the library. The library initiated a series of conversations with students across campus about their library experiences in the spring of 2020, beginning with participants in ISOP and ETP, and expanding in 2020-21 to groups such as the Black Student Association, the Muslim Student Association, and the Union des Estudiantes Latinx. An inclusive academic experience also needs to recognize the historical barriers to such a sense of belonging, including the university’s ties to enslavement. The library’s archivist and outreach librarian have been a part of the campus Working Group on Slavery and its Contemporary Legacies since its inception.
2022-23 goals
- Review and respond to DEI-related collection development suggestions in the 2022 library survey. Track purchases made based on these suggestions.
- Ensure DEI considerations in all future exhibits, through the inclusion of a workflow item to consider diverse voices and/or identities into the exhibit building process.
- Dedicate collection development funds to the office of the new Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, for the purchase of new materials for the library collection. (carryover from 21-22)
- Engage in conversations with departments moving into library building and the student community to develop a plan to ensure a welcoming physical library space for Hollins students from historically marginalized populations. Such a plan might include art installations, dedicated exhibit spaces, affinity spaces, and/or other approaches. (expanded from 21-22 goal)
Last updated: August 29, 2022 at 14:46 pm