Libraries' IDEA

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility

Library staff have engaged with inclusion, diversity, and accessibility work for some years, and more recently, a restructured IDEA committee has created a comprehensive plan to guide, structure, and sustain this work for the future. The plan addresses:

• Diversifying our collections, while also sustaining an ongoing #ownvoices project.  (#ownvoices is a hashtag movement used to recommend books about diverse characters that are written by authors of that same group) Students and Librarians collaborated to create an #ownvoices LibGuide and an ongoing process for adding titles to our permanent collections. 
• Describing our collections using respectful language and addressing reparative language
• Supporting exhibitions and events that connect our collections to the experiences of our diverse community
• Following best practices for library staff recruitment and retention including creating a Job Board as an aid to help hiring managers recruit diverse candidates for library positions.
• Publishing an Anti-Black Racism Statement 

The Committee would love to hear from you! Email us at library-dei@swarthmore.edu with questions and suggestions.