Purpose
Under the transformational leadership of the University Librarian, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries shifted from having an education- and programming-based “diversity committee” to a council of librarians advocating for action, anti-racism, and social justice, both within our organization and across campus. As our "you can't read your way out of racism."
Approach
With support from library leadership, the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Council has advanced anti-racism work in the libraries by serving as facilitators for a book discussion series, organizing a 21-day racial equity challenge, supporting staff in integrating anti-racism practices into their daily work through brown bag conversations, and facilitating the development of inclusion-focused performance management goals.
Findings
What does an anti-racist library look like, and how does our organization envision this future? These questions anchor the IDEA Council’s strategies. The libraries have witnessed a positive shift in staff participation: two-thirds of library staff participated in a Racial Equity Institute Groundwater presentation and in a library-wide book discussion series; approximately half the staff committed to our 21-day racial equity challenge. Participants were asked to reflect in conversation and through surveys.
Originality/value
The first wave of a newly established grant program funded eight staff-led projects to advance social justice in the libraries. Additional steps included caucusing by racial identity, staff-wide discussions about racial equity, and a second wave of funding for the grant program. We approach this work with cultural humility: seeking to learn from one another, our peers, and fellow activists
