Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Updates



EBD #12.622019-2020TO:ALA Executive BoardRE:Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services ACTION REQUESTED/INFORMATION/REPORT:Update on equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts of the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS), ODLOS Advisory Committee, and other key stakeholdersACTION REQUESTED BY:Kristin Lahurd, Interim Director, Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach ServicesCONTACT PERSON:Kristin Lahurd(312) 280-3275 klahurd@DRAFT OF MOTION: No motion proposed – informational only DATE:June 22, 2020BACKGROUND:The report details efforts related to equity, diversity, and inclusion within and beyond the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services.InitiativesEDI AssemblyAt Midwinter 2020, the Executive Board instituted the creation of an EDI Assembly, with the ODLOS Advisory Committee taking the lead in planning and implementation. A working group of four members of the ODLOS Advisory Committee, in addition to the Committee Chair, Martin Garnar, and Staff Liaison, Kristin Lahurd, drafted the following charge and announcement for the Assembly:The ALA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Assembly shall provide a forum for all groups within ALA and ALA-affiliated organizations working on initiatives related to equity, diversity, and inclusion?to discuss their activities, identify opportunities for collaboration and coordination, and explore new initiatives related to the association’s strategic direction for equity, diversity, and inclusion.All groups within ALA and ALA-affiliated organizations working on initiatives related to equity, diversity, and inclusion are invited to send representatives. Individuals interested in equity, diversity, and inclusion are also welcomed to attend and participate. Volunteers will serve two-year terms on the assembly, with flexibility as needed.The EDI Assembly will meet quarterly, starting with its inaugural meeting on August 4th from 12-1:30pm PDT / 1pm-2:30pm MDT / 2pm-3:30pm CDT / 3pm-4:30pm CDT.ACRL, ARL, ODLOS, PLA Cultural Competencies for Racial Equity Task ForceThe Building Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity Framework Task Force is a joint initiative of ALA (specifically, the Association of College and Research Libraries, the Public Library Association, and ODLOS) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The task force is charged with creating a framework for cultural proficiencies in racial equity that can be used in public and academic libraries. The task force will circulate drafts of the framework for public comment and revise as appropriate before submitting a final document to be approved and adopted by each association. The timeline will include requests for comments in spring 2021, with the final document expected in summer 2021. The task force members are engaging in efforts across three working groups – Survey, Glossary, and Data & Competencies – while also meeting as a whole group. With our April in-person meeting postponed, we are building community virtually, through check-ins, coffee breaks, and a racial healing circle opportunity.Diversity Research GrantsIn light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services extended the Call for Proposals for 2020 Diversity Research Grants. As of the May 15 deadline, 21 proposals were received, and the Advisory Committee plans to announce recipients in July. 2019 recipients will also be granted one year no-cost extensions dependent on the pandemic’s impact on their project.Libraries RespondSince 2016, ODLOS has maintained the Libraries Respond page – a resource for addressing current social justice issues. ODLOS has created two new resource pages, Black Lives Matter and Combating Xenophobia and Fake News in light of COVID-19. The Black Lives Matter page provides key definitions and concrete tools for library workers on how they can be involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, from resources on educating yourself to critically examining library policies. As of June 19, the page had received 10,263 pageviews, including 7,605 unique pageviews. As a way to extend and apply the resources included in the Libraries Respond pages, ODLOS is working with our member leaders and partners to develop related webinars. Our first was a webinar in partnership with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) on “Confronting Xenophobia and Supporting Asian and Asian/Pacific American Communities during COVID-19,” for which we had 1300 registrants. (Per an agreement with the presenters, the webinar archive is available only to registrants.) In conjunction with the Libraries Respond: Black Lives Matter page, we have a webinar in early stages of development on building an anti-racist collection. COVID-19 Response EffortsODLOS is involved in ALA’s COVID-19 response through two collaborative efforts: first as part of a data and research team that created and implemented the Libraries Respond to COVID-19 Survey, including providing input on the outreach questions, and second as part of a cross-unit collaboration on a potential webinar series that will explore some of the direct and indirect implications of the current public health situation on library values and services. ODLOS plans to coordinate a member-led webinar on what outreach and engagement look like in the current context and may look like in the coming months. Partnerships The Office continues work across several partnerships, both within the association and beyond. Our work with other ALA units includes three projects with the Public Programs Office (PPO): the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiative; an advisory role in the STAR Net STEAM Equity Project: Enhancing Learning Opportunities in Libraries of Rural Communities; and providing content and advising for a Microaggressions module in PPO’s online course, Libraries Transforming Communities: Facilitation Skills for Small and Rural Libraries.We recently recorded an updated version of “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries” for the ALA Essentials webinar series. This effort is in partnership with ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions and ALA Membership; they are aiming to launch the series by fall for ALA organizational members to use in employee onboarding and training.Finally, we are expanding our work with the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and our offices’ respective member groups, particularly around the intersection of social justice and intellectual freedom. In initial conversations with OIF Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone, we discussed two potential projects. The first involves a working group, started by the ALA Committee on Professional Ethics, which will explore the addition of a new article on social justice for the ALA Code of Ethics. The second effort focuses on developing shared language, framing, and strategy around social justice and intellectual freedom, potentially through a shared ALA Connect space for our offices’ member groups and joint meetings of the groups.Spectrum Scholarship ProgramThe Spectrum Jury reviewed 277 exceptional applications for 2020-2021 scholarships. Recipients are currently being notified and will be announced by June 30.?Community BuildingStaff partnered with several Spectrum alumni to host a Jitsi Virtual Hangout on April 1, 2020 for Spectrum Scholars on self-care amid COVID-19. Leading up to the hangout, Scholars and friends had the opportunity to participate in a community-wide virtual self-care bingo game and tag photos of themselves on social media.??On June 9, Spectrum alumni hosted a virtual check-in for BIPOC librarians/library workers through Jitsi to provide a space to decompress, grieve, and support one another in the midst of trauma and the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and more.?The Spectrum Advisory Committee (SAC) created a questionnaire to collect stories and responses from Scholars in response to recent traumas. These responses are being posted on the Spectrum blog as a way to provide space for individuals to express a variety of emotions.On June 27, staff and alumni will present a half-day virtual event for the 2019 Scholar cohort in lieu of the typical in-person Spectrum Leadership Institute. Sessions include an art icebreaker, presentation on defining diversity through dialogue by alumna and APALA President Alanna Aiko Moore, and virtual happy hour with alumni and LIS leaders of color. ?Fundraising?Since the start of the fiscal year on September 1, 2019 the Spectrum Scholarship Program has raised $39,766 in donations from 376 donors.?Launched on March 12, 2020 and extended through April 16, 2020, the Spectrum merchandise fundraiser aimed to engage Scholars and Spectrum supporters in donating to the program while also increasing promotional reach with branded apparel. $2,000 was raised from over 80 donors.?Long-time Spectrum supporter Miriam Tuliao has pledged to run 125 miles in the month of June to honor the New York Public Library’s 125th anniversary and 125 NYPL staffers, raising funds for the Spectrum Scholarship Program through a GoFundMe Charity Campaign. As of this report, Miriam’s campaign has raised almost $6,000 from 75 donors.In conjunction with the June announcement of the 2020-2021 Spectrum Scholarship recipients: ProQuest has committed for the next three years to continuing its sponsorship of 8 Spectrum Scholars annually; the Northern California and Nevada Medical Library Group has renewed its commitment to sponsor one scholar annually interested in health sciences librarianship; and new this year, the Library Instruction Round Table has committed for the next three years to sponsoring one Spectrum Scholar annually.Professional Development and Other ResourcesLiteracyA new initiative by ODLOS and the Committee on Literacy is a webinar series tied to the “new” and multiple literacies included in the ALA Literacy Clearinghouse, an ongoing initiative among ODLOS, the Committee on Literacy, and the Literacy Assembly. For our first in the series, we issued a call for presenters on the topic of food literacy. Due to the overwhelming response to the call, we decided to plan a two-part food literacy series, with the first webinar on “food literacy: access” scheduled for April. However, in response the pandemic and its impact on our work and needs, we elected to postpone the webinar and have rescheduled it for July 22. Meanwhile, the Committee continues work on updating and organizing the Clearinghouse, including work on a section devoted to literacy services to adults who are incarcerated or recently released, to be added to those under “target populations.” In April, we learned that OverDrive will be donating all profits from purchases on The OverDrive Shop to the Literacy Clearinghouse.Finally, on May 15th, ODLOS hosted the webinar “Expanding the Library's 'Reach' Through A Literacy Partners Program” for 500 registrants. Presented by David Kelsey, President-Elect of the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) and colleague Dana Hintz, the webinar explored how to better serve nontraditional library users and how to increase community engagement and form partnerships with local businesses.ALA Virtual and Surrounding EventsODLOS staff have been helping to coordinate a number of events as part of and in proximity to ALA Virtual. These include the Round Table and Affiliate Chairs’ and Presidents’ programs during ALA Virtual, as well as two events right after ALA Virtual: The ALA Book Award Celebration and the Social Responsibilities Round Table’s (SRRT) Afternoon of Social Justice. The ODLOS team have been helping to organize the June 28th ALA Book Award Celebration, a free all-day?virtual event on ALA’s YouTube channel celebrating the winners of several of our major book awards, including Coretta Scott King Book Awards and the Stonewall youth and adult Book Awards. And on June 29th, from 12:00 - 4:30pm EDT, SRRT will host a three-part webinar event titled “Afternoon of Social Justice.” Registration is free, and webinars will be recorded. Participating groups include the International Relations Task Force and Feminist Task Force of SRRT, the American Indian Library Association, and various speakers involved in work around voter fraud and democracy.ACRL Presenter WebinarsODLOS will be developing and recording two webinars for ACRL to provide context and understanding of concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to help ACRL professional development presenters understand how to incorporate these concepts into their presentations. At ACRL’s request, the webinars will be on the topics of “Implicit Bias” and “Uncovering Privilege and Addressing Microaggressions.”Intersections HYPERLINK "" Intersections, the ODLOS blog, highlights the work of library and information science workers as they create safe, responsible, and all-inclusive spaces that serve and represent the entire community, as well as initiatives and projects supported by the office that promotes their work. For the month of June we have three new blog posts: A Time of Reckoning - Juneteenth 2020; Accessibility as a Team Effort; and Grocery Deliveries: Serving our Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic. ODLOS Staffing UpdatesEffective June 22, 2020, Monica Chapman, who since early 2019 has held a part-time position as the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Coordinator, moved to a full-time position in ODLOS, maintaining her work with CSK and serving as staff liaison for our roundtables: EMIERT, RainbowRT, and SRRT. Monica’s new title is Program Coordinator, CSK Book Awards and ODLOS Round Tables. This change comes as Briana Jarnagin, who has been at ALA since 2017, begins a full-time program toward an MS in Higher Education at Northwestern University. Also on June 22, Briana shifted to a part-time position in ODLOS, still as Program Coordinator, Community Engagement, with a focus solely on supporting the Spectrum Scholarship Program and the community of Scholars. Submitted by Kristin Lahurd, Interim Director, ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services ................
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