Bridge Building, Intersectionality and Inclusion
Preconference
Agnes Bradshaw
Assistant University Librarian for Organizational Development
Virginia Commonwealth University
Emily Chan, MLIS
Interim Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship
San Jose State University
Tarida Anantachai
Outreach Librarian
Syracuse University
Jason Alston
Information Literacy Librarian
Coastal Carolina University
Rebecca Hankins, C.A.
Associate Prof, Archivist, Librarian
Texas A&M University
Miguel Juarez
Doctoral Student
University of Texas at El Paso
Shaundra Walker
Interim Library Director
Georgia College
In 2013, Rebecca Hankins and Miguel Juárez, colleagues who worked together at Texas A&M University and the University of Arizona, put out a call for chapters for a book on diversity within academic librarianship for the Library Juice Press Critical Multiculturalism in Information Studies Series. Librarians of color were invited to share their experiences, challenges, and successes working in academic libraries. The edited volume sought to address the shared experiences of academic librarians of color, i.e. Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans. Their experiences are similar and offer narratives which seek to explain the lack of librarians of color in academia.
The co-authors’ expectation was that this monograph could provide a comprehensive look at the experiences of academic librarians of color after their recruitment and hire. Contributors were challenged to discuss retention, job satisfaction, and tenure experiences. The co-editors looked at the history of librarians of color in academia, reviewed the literature, obstacles, roles, leadership, and the tenure process for those who endure. What are the recruitment and retention methods employed to create a diverse workforce, and examples of successes and failures? Finally, what are mentoring strategies to make the library environment less exploitative and toxic for librarians of color?
The session will be divided into two 2-hour increments. The first two hours will focus on providing guidance for writing in the profession; topics to be covered include copyright, intellectual property, your rights as an author, and how to select the appropriate venue for your writing (i.e. how to avoid predatory publications). The speakers will also discuss the necessity of remaining steadfast throughout the process and seeing your idea to fruition.
The last half of the session will focus on the book editors’ process and work with the selected contributors and the publisher to produce the volume. In addition, the panel of editors and authors will discuss their individual experiences that directly influenced the book’s content. The speakers will reflect upon their work, which has served to “enrich the public record while expanding their professional experiences and resumes.”