1. “Libraries are for Everyone” The State of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives in Small College Libraries
Gretchen Revie, Reference Librarian, Instruction Coordinator, Associate Professor, etc.
Pete Gilbert, Random Library Guy
August 18, 2017

2. Who are we?
Gretchen Revie, Reference Librarian, Instruction Coordinator, Associate Professor, etc.
Pete Gilbert, Random Library Guy

3. Who are you?

4. Definitions What do we talk about when we talk about D&I? Race?
Ethnicity?
LGBTQ+?
Sociocultural?
Disabilities/Different abilities?
Neurodiversity?

5. Literature Review
Because, hey – it’s what we do.
See the handout…

6. Let’s do a Survey!
Oberlin Group: 80 small, private, liberal arts college libraries
Questions:
What diversity and inclusion initiatives are going on at your library? When did they start? Are these new initiatives or converted older ones? Who's involved?
How are those initiatives going?
What should college libraries be doing in the way of diversity and inclusion?
Responses: 25% response rate

7. Responses: What are we doing?
Services
Facilities
Collections
Personnel

8. Services Exhibits: Heroes and Holidays
Reading groups – internal and external
Speakers – internal and external
Afrofuturism at Union
Committees/task forces/interest groups
Partnerships
Alignment with campus initiatives
Educational programming
LIFT at Earlham
Artist Stacey Robinson addresses students, faculty, and staff at Union College’s Schaffer Library

10. Facilities
Signage
Exhibits
Restrooms and gender neutrality

12. Collections Service based collections Breadth Viewpoint diversity
Textbook availability
Breadth
Viewpoint diversity
Focused collections
General D&I
Specific topics
Bates Picture Book Project

14. Personnel Staff recruitment and retention
Student worker hiring and training
The Librarian Pipeline
Staff training

15. At the Mudd

17. Responses: What should we be doing?
Actively participate in institutional efforts
Partner to identify and recruit diverse candidates for librarian positions
Making sure diversity and inclusion are overall goals of our work
Talking about the issues and creating an open space to think about/address them
Show up!
Continue to build broad, inclusive collections
Share what we’re doing, on- and off-campus

18. The Takeaway Message(s)
Libraries are for everyone.
Your library is working hard on this issue and has been for some time.
Include the library in D&I discussions. You won’t regret it.

19. Questions? Comments? Brickbats?