Diversity--Lightning Round of Library Diversity Committee

Abstract

Agenda: Presenters will share their FY'15 Diversity Goal process, including how they constructed their goal, how they achieved it, and what they learned. We are excited to have an excellent roster of presenters for the event: William Fleming, Angelina Zaytsev, Anna Schnitzer, Jocilyn Wagner, Emily Hamstra, Charles Watkinson, and Chelsea Trull. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn from their colleagues' experiences, as well as gain insight into a variety of ways to approach the diversity goal process. This event is intended to foster the following Library Competencies: Building an Inclusive Community and Advancing the Mission.

As the third speaker of the seven presenters, I was especially delighted that the first two participants discussed disability issues (one described various aspects of neurodiversity, and another staff member told of a goal of placing WISD students with developmental delays into temporary library positions, e.g., helpers in the stacks). In my few minutes of the Lightning Round, I focused on the theme of diversity, equity, and inclusion as an ongoing, lifetime goal. After me, there was still another speaker whose goal was to improve techniques for readers who have difficulty reading print, and then an additional individual described the need to publish e-books that are accessible. Interestingly, all told, five of the seven Lightning Rounds on Diversity included disability as a component of diversity.