by Cindy Ingold and Heather Murphy | Library Diversity Committee Co-Chairs | on March 1, 2016
The UIUC Library Diversity Committee held two information sessions on microagressions in fall 2015, subsequent to a report that came out in the spring about microaggressions on campus. We hope to do more education of our staff as well as figuring out ways to educate and inform our patrons. The Diversity Committee has met with the lead author of a report that implicated the libraries as a place where these microaggressions occur and we hope to stay in contact with her throughout the next several months.
Two library representatives serve as Inclusive Illinois representatives from the campus to the library, and we receive e-mails about related events that we forward on to the library staff.
Illinois library staff representatives attended a rally in December 2015 organized by campus and local groups for Black Lives Matter.
Several library staff members, including Dean Wilkin, attended a session in December 2015 on “The Role of Professional Staff and Allies,” which was part of a larger conference sponsored by the Central Black Student Union.
There was also a special meeting held in November 2015 that members of the Diversity Committee and library dean John Wilkin attended, which was sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Access and the Chancellor’s Office. At this meeting we addressed two questions: actionable items colleges, units, and departments should do immediately to respond to campus racism, injustices, inequities, and general climate issues and actionable items campus leadership should do to address campus racism, injustices, inequities, and general climate issues.
Back to “What ARL Members Are Doing to Advance Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality“
