Articulate the importance of designing programs and services supportive of diversity, inclusion, and equity for clientele and employees.
Recognizing diversity, inclusion and equity in the library and information science field is of the utmost importance as they are fundamental values of the profession. As information professionals, we need to be aware that patrons come from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds, have varying education levels, and are from a variety of ages, religions, genders and races. Because of the wide range in characteristics, access needs to be provided free of bias and equal to all. It is important that anyone who enters the organization, be it a patron or staff member, feels welcome.
Characteristics of Diversity
Diversity is one of the fundamental values in library and information science and is defined as "the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization (Merriam-Webster, 2020, para. 1). Diversity is of such importance in library and information science that the American Library Association has incorporated diversity throughout the Library Bill of Rights and Code of Ethics, stating it as the first article in both documents, and has listed it as one of its Key Action Areas, stating that "diversity is a fundamental value of the association and its members, and is reflected in its commitment to recruiting people of color and people with disabilities to the profession and to the promotion and development of library collections and services for all people" (2020, para. 3). With all the importance given to diversity in the LIS field, what does it actually address? According to Wong, Figueroa and Cardenas-Dow (2018), "diversity efforts usually respond to or address the needs of specific groups or cultures within the larger community" (p. 55). This is a bit broad, but highlights the fact that efforts are made to provide resources to all patrons, as well as ensure that various groups are represented in organizational decisions. This means designing programs and collections that represent the community interests, giving equal opportunities for information or employment to all, and ensuring that everyone feels welcome in the library or information organization. To aid in implementation of diversity efforts, many libraries conduct environmental scans and SWOT analysis to determine the demographic composition of the community to create programs and implement strategic plans that will further aid inclusion and equity of access efforts.
Inclusion helps ensure that equal access, respect and reasonable accommodations are provided to all patrons. Organizations should do all they can to make sure that every patron arriving at their location feels like they belong there. They need to feel like they are included in the decisions that are affecting their local library or institution of information. An organization needs to promote the fact that anyone who visits will have the same rights, respect and access as anyone else. Traditionally marginalized individuals and groups need to feel like their voice matters, and that they are respected at the locations they choose to visit. Inclusion needs to be more than just an image; it needs to be a real concept. This happens in the way of organizational policies and procedures. Policies regarding conduct by staff and patrons need to be clearly visible and applied evenly throughout the organization. Collection development procedures need to take the communities' needs into consideration. For example, if a community served is composed primarily of Spanish-speaking people, efforts need to be made to provide materials in Spanish and have staff who are bilingual and able to properly communicate with the patrons. Facilities must also facilitate inclusion, such as providing ramps for wheelchairs, visible signs and accommodations for the hearing-impaired, and providing access to gender-neutral bathrooms. The goal needs to be that whenever someone visits the library or organization, there should be no reason why they do not feel included in the community space.
Equity includes the efforts that are being carried out by the organization to raise awareness of the issues at hand, and how they are helping address them by instituting specific programs. According to Wong, Figueroa and Cardenas-Dow (2018), "equity of access builds upon what information organizations have traditionally themed outreach, where organizations develop special programs or projects for under- or unserved - and often diverse - populations" (p. 57). These outreach programs help foster a sense of community to underrepresented groups that may not traditionally have been included in the patron community. Some examples of these groups and programs can be adult literacy programs, technology-related programs for the elderly, prison library programs, and mobile library programs for geographically isolated areas. Whatever program the library or organization decides to implement, community needs must be considered. It is the responsibility of the information professional to learn as much as they can about the community's diversity. Becoming familiar with linguistic preferences, cultural norms and social customs are all essential to properly develop strategies and programs that will best serve the community (Wong, Figueroa, Cardenas-Dow, p. 57). Directly engaging with the community is the best way of learning their needs, and communicating with them about respective activities is paramount to continue to build a sense of community and inclusiveness
Supporting Evidence
This assignment from INFO 204: Information Professions, highlights my understanding of diversity issues within a library system. In this communications case study, issues of how to address the changing demographics and needs of a community are presented. The study highlighted a key concept of inclusion and equity of access. Most of the collection did not represent the needs of the community, and the library's staff lacked diversity and cultural-awareness. I discuss some strategies to help broaden diversity in the library, such as cross-cultural awareness training, expansion of the collection dependent on community demographics and incorporating linguistic pluralism. I demonstrate that I can distinguish different concepts of diversity and think of ways to make a library more inclusive for the community it serves.
In this discussion post for INFO 204: Information Professions, I discuss skills and traits that I think are necessary to lead and manage a library in modern society. I highlight two traits that specifically deal with being able to better serve the community: a desire to serve the community and being able to think analytically to develop new and revised systems and procedures. I believe this is important because it takes into account the diverse demographics of the community and develops inclusion in the library. By being able to identify how these traits directly correlate to diversity and inclusion, I am better prepared to be able to draft and incorporate plans for expansion of diversity efforts in a library or information organization.
Conclusion
The term diversity is used to represent efforts made to ensure the inclusion of all groups of people and the shared, equal access to information. Recognizing why this matters is essential if a library is provide the best possible service to the community they represent. As community and individual identities continue to evolve, it becomes even more important that the library keeps abreast of the shift and continues to foster an environment of safety and equity. The courses taught at the iSchool have prepared me for these challenges by making me aware of strategies for ensuring access to information is equal to all, as well as how some institutions have adopted policies to ensure that no patron is left feeling unwelcome. By applying these lessons, I can help ensure that every demographic is represented to the best of my ability.
References
American Library Association. (2020). Key Action Areas. http://www.ala.org/aboutala/missionpriorities/keyactionareas
Merriam-Webster. (2020). Diversity. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity
Wong, P., Figueroa, M., & Cardenas-Dow, M. (2018). Diversity, equity of access, and social justice. In S. Hirsh (Ed.), Information services today: An introduction (2nd ed., pp. 52-68). Rowman & Littlefield.