Bridge Building, Intersectionality and Inclusion
Poster Session
Melissa Villa-Nicholas
Assistant Professor
Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, University of Rhode Island
Estefania Arias, University of Rhode Island
Graduate Student
Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, University of Rhode Island
Kathleen Fieffe, MLIS
Instruction Librarian
Fairfield University Library
This poster will focus on the pedagogical approach of LSC 525: Multiculturalism in Libraries, taught at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. This course focuses on critical race theories, intersectionality, and other critical theories as a method to implementing multiculturalism in libraries. This poster seeks to document the approaches and assessment of teaching intersectionality in the LIS classroom, and how students then go on to apply intersectionality theory, concepts, and activism in their personal and professional lives. This poster will reflect on effective approaches- such as articles, lessons, audio/visual, prompts, assignments, etc- in discussing intersectional analysis in LIS as a process; and those approaches that have not worked in resonating with students or contributed to intersectional analysis. By thinking of intersectional analysis as a process, students are encouraged to understand that their approach to race, racism, class, gender, sexuality, disability and ability, and indigeneity is not a fixed way of thinking but in fact an adaptive process.
In this poster, the instructor and former students will explore current practices and pedagogies of the course, as well as reflect on assessment and suggestions for improvement. The instructor and students reflect on the process of talking about the intersectional topics of race, racism, sexism, sexuality, gender, class, ableism and disability, indigeneity, and age/ageism, in order to improve the curriculum of intersectionality in Library and Information Studies/Science. This poster will also reflect on how teaching intersectionality is and can be applied to the field through student reflection.