Micro Actions Support Culture of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in an Academic Library

Authors

  • Lily Hawley OHSU Library
  • Jennifer K Wells OHSU Library

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7710/1093-7374.1991

Keywords:

Oregon, Oregon libraries, academic library, libraries, librarians, northwest, information science, information literacy, social media, writing, library trends, books, donors, library funding, Oregon library association, quarterly, Oregon library association quarterly, American library association, ala, ola, reading, library success, success, evolving roles, OSU, Oregon state, University, web services, public, new discipline, changes in libraries, career, careers, library careers, library career, professional journal, scholarly, academic, circulation, Portland, Multnomah County Library, innovative, inventive, solution, oregon librarians, librarian, political, politics, political action, association, civics, civic education, inspiring, engagement, role, participation, skills, create, creating, resources, develop, source, evaluate, evaluation, evaluating, University of Oregon, UO, learn, learned, watzek, lewis & clark college, access, barriers, membership, story, inmates, storytime, record, equity, diversity, inclusion, african, american, conference, fellow, dei, edi, project lit, sewing, somali, immigrants, refugees, micro, action, elaine hirsch, intersection, age, body type, disabilities, disability, race, skin, color, physical, mental, religious, geography, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sex, gender, olaq, lily, hawley, jennifer, wells, emporia, ohsu, actions, proficient, climate, committee, lgbtq , keystone habits, skin tone, games, cancer, socioeconomic, marginalized, erco, acrl, framework, literacy, disabled, julie syler, rebecca mccorkindale, get it for me, queer

Abstract

As student workers at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Library, we wanted to better understand the role of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in an academic library. In conversations with staff, both in person and through emailed questions and responses, we have found that personal values are a driving force behind many smaller, continuous staff actions in promoting EDI throughout different departments.

Across libraries and larger institutions, EDI values are often built into larger strategic visions. However, guidance for the practical implementation of these values may be less specific, leaving staff to make their own decisions on how to achieve these larger institutional goals. Diversity and inclusion are top values at OHSU.... However, there are no clear policies or guidelines for how to do this. For example, within the library’s collection development policy, there is no mention of EDI (Oregon Health & Science University Library, 2018). This does not mean, however, that there is not a culture of EDI at OHSU Library.

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Author Biographies

Lily Hawley, OHSU Library

Lily Hawley grew up in the high deserts of New Mexico with storytelling in her blood and ink on her fingers. She followed the call to adventure and moved to Oregon to pursue her BA in English and later her Master of Library Science from Emporia State University. She currently works as a Collections Assistant at the OHSU Library and a Public Service Assistant at the Tualatin Public Library.

Jennifer K Wells, OHSU Library

Jennifer Wells first fell in love with library science as a reference assistant at Oregon State University. She’s now returning to the field after a near-decade-long hiatus of producing television news. Jennifer is a student worker at the OHSU Library in Portland and University of Oregon Portland Library and Learning Commons. She’s in Emporia State University’s SLIM cohort 19, with an expected graduation date of Summer 2020.

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Published

2019-10-28

How to Cite

Hawley, L., & Wells, J. K. (2019). Micro Actions Support Culture of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in an Academic Library. OLA Quarterly, 25(2), 40–47. https://doi.org/10.7710/1093-7374.1991