Actively Inclusive: Libraries Speak Up!

The ALAO Diversity Committee held its spring workshop “Actively Inclusive: Libraries Speak Up!” on Thursday, May 10^th at the State Library of Ohio. Attendance included 36 registrants from academic and public libraries in Ohio as well as two out-of-state institutions.

Attendees had opportunities to learn from library outreach programs focusing on diverse academic audiences and community populations; learn about inclusive practices related to serving library personnel, as well as recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce; and to hear about professional development opportunities that help participants increase their understanding of power and privilege.

Speakers presented sessions which featured media and interactive elements that focused on bias and unheard voices, ableism and disabilities, diverse race and ethnic identities, inclusive dialogue, and challenging the barriers to successful equitable hiring processes. The program included the following sessions:

Make Me Wanna Holla: Thinking about Black/African-American Students’ Experiences with Libraries – Amanda Folk and Tracey Overbey, The Ohio State University

Forgotten Diversity: Disabilities – Gretchen Avery and Andrea Boehme, Bowling Green State University

Inclusive Library Professional Development Using Principles of Intergroup Dialogue – Ione Damasco, University of Dayton

Partnering for Social Justice: Libraries Working with Others to Reach Out to Diverse Communities – Kathy Ladell, Northern Illinois University

Rethinking and Restructuring Recruitment in Academic Libraries – Edith Scarletto and Eileen Bosch, Bowling Green State University; Helen Look and Edras Rodriguez-Torres, University of Michigan

Libraries Connecting Across Divides: Intersectionality, Identities, and Unconscious Bias – Helen Look and Marna Clowney-Robinson, University of Michigan

-Bree Miller, ALAO Diversity Committee Co-Chair, Columbus State Community College