Libraries' IDEA
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility
Library staff have engaged with diversity, equity and inclusion work for some years, but the confluence of events in the summer of 2020 sparked a desire to structure this work in a way that integrates it into every staff person's job description and in hopes of making the work be sustainable into the future.
Highlights of IDEA work include:
- Publishing an Anti-Black Racism Statement
- Developing documentation for inclusive hiring practices including onboarding and a Job Board resource to help hiring managers recruit diverse candidates for library positions.
- Creating an #ownvoices collection development 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.
Spring '22 Library Interns visit Philadelphia's oldest Black owned Bookstore, Hakim's, as part of their #ownvoices study.
The Committee would love to hear from you! Email us at library-dei@swarthmore.edu with questions and suggestions.
