Leadership, Management and Organizational Development

Preconference

Developing an Inclusive Workplace for Librarians of Color by Librarians of Color

Preconference Organizer(s)

• EB

  Eugenia Beh

  Electronic Resources Librarian
  MIT

Preconference Presenter(s)

• 

  Isabel Espinal, MLIS, PhD

  Librarian for Afro American Studies, Latin American, Caribbean & Latinx Studies, Native American & Indigenous Studies, and Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies
  University of Massachusetts Amherst
• JA

  Jade Alburo

  Librarian for Southeast Asian Studies, Pacific Islands Studies, and Religion
  UCLA

Workshop Presenter(s)

• 

  Regina Gong, MLIS

  Open Educational Resources (OER) Project Manager / Manager of Technical Services and Systems
  Lansing Community College

Preconference Presenter(s)

• DH

  Del Hornbuckle

  Dean
  Fresno State
• 

  Joanna Chen Cham, MLIS

  Lead for Emerging Literacies Librarian
  UCLA
• EB

  Eileen Bosch, MLIS, MEd

  Coord of Library Instruction & Chair of Library Teaching and Learning
  Bowling Green State University
• NG

  Nikhat Ghouse, MSOD, MLIS

  Associate Librarian for the Social Sciences & Coordinator, Diversity Alliance Residency Program
  American University

What would an inclusive and equitable library workplace look like if it was defined by librarians of color? While much has been written about what library leaders and administrators can do to make their organizations and the profession more welcoming and inclusive, very rarely (or not often enough) are librarians of color actually asked for input on how we would feel supported and included. This preconference will focus on developing a set of recommendations to share with library directors and administrators for creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace from the point of view of librarians of color and for librarians of color and other marginalized communities. During the preconference, we will look at what is already recommended and whether or not that meets our needs, and if not, identify what is missing. Using the campus demands developed by student protestors during the 2015-2016 student protests against institutional racism on campus as a model, participants will crowdsource and share ideas for creating a manifesto of what librarians of color want to see in a truly inclusive and equitable workplace.

 

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be aware of what is commonly recommended in the professional literature as ways to make workplaces more inclusive and welcoming and whether this meets their needs or not.
• Participants will have contributed to developing a template for advocating for a work environment that is inclusive and welcoming according to their needs and well-being.
• Participants will have learned strategies for sharing their recommendations/demands with the leadership at their organization.