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DSRT & ULA Board Statement on Racism & Violence
The Diversity Services Roundtable (DSRT) and Board of Directors of the Utah Library Association (ULA) stands with the American Library Association (ALA) and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) in condemning violence and racism towards Black people and all People of Color.
The Diversity Services Roundtable and ULA condemns the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers within the Minneapolis Police Department and denounces all acts of violence against Black people and People of Color. Racism weakens our institutions and destroys our communities.
DSRT and ULA stands in solidarity with library workers, with library users, and with members of the communities we serve and support who are susceptible to acts of prejudice, threats of violence, and even death based solely on their race or ethnicity. The pervasive racism present in our nation denies its residents equal rights and equal access and as such is a barrier to the goals of the library profession.
DSRT and ULA calls on Utah library and information services leaders, staff, and advocates of all races and backgrounds to abolish racism against Black people and against all People of Color and to see to it that it has no place in our institutions, our policies, our practices, or our behaviors.
The Diversity Services Roundtable is committed to our mission of promoting inclusivity, equity, and diversity in our profession and association, and to our goals of communication and promotion, and training, programming, and diversity initiatives.
DSRT Officers:
Chair: Chaundra Johnson
Vice Chair: Cristina Reyes
Secretary: Jennifer McKague
Member-at-large: Katie Wegner
ULA Board of Directors:
President: Daniel Mauchley
Vice President: Rita Christensen
Past-President: Vern Waters
Members-at-Large, Section Chairs, and Liaisons
In the following video, DSRT Chair Chaundra Johnson reads the statement in full.
Resources on Social Justice, Activism, and Anti-Racism
General
- Libraries Respond (American Library Association)
- Examples of Racial Microaggressions (University of Minnesota)
- Social Justice Resources for Children (The Children’s Community School)
- 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge© (Debby Irving)
Book Lists
- Tools to Talk About Race and Racism (Hennepin County Library)
- Anti-Racist Reading List from Ibram X. Kendi (Chicago Public Library)
- Little House, Big Problem: What to Do with “classic” Books That Are Also Racist (School Library Journal)
- Reading Alternatives to Three Problematic Classics (School Library Journal)
- Antiracism: A Starter Booklist (Library Journal)
- 10 Books about Race to Read Instead of Asking a Person of Color to Explain things to You (Bustle)
- The Schomburg Center’s Black Liberation Reading List (New York Public Library)
- Antiracist Resources and Reads: Lists for All Ages (Fuse 8, School Library Journal Blog)
- Social Justice: Fifteen Titles to Address Inequity, Equality, and Organizing for Young Readers (School Library Journal)
- Anti-Racism Reading Lists and Resources (Oklahoma Department of Libraries)
Podcasts
- 9 Podcasts that Don’t Whitewash Race (Yes! Magazine)
- Code Switch (NPR)
- Podcast Recommendations (Whites For Racial Equity)
Videos
- What is Systemic Racism? (Race Forward)
- Being Antiracist (National Museum of African American History & Culture)
Resource Lists
- Anti-Racism Activities (acrawley on Diigo)
- Black Lives Matter (acrawley on Diigo)
- Race Conscious Children (acrawley on Diigo)
- Racism (acrawley on Diigo)
- Taking Action (acrawley on Diigo)
- White Allies (acrawley on Diigo)
- White Fragility (acrawley on Diigo)
- Disrupting Whiteness in Libraries and Librarianship: A Reading List (University of Wisconsin- Madison Library)
Mission
The mission of the Diversity Services Round Table of the Utah Library Association is to promote inclusivity, equity, and diversity in our profession and association.
Goal 1: Communication and Promotion
Librarians may use the Diversity Services Round Table website to learn about providing equitable library services to everyone. The website will be updated with information about relevant training opportunities and resources.
Summary of Objectives: The Diversity Services Round Table leadership will use the website to communicate with members and librarians. The website will be used to promote the Diversity Services Round Table, recruit members and leadership, and share valuable resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion in library services.
Goal 2: Training, Programming, and Initiatives
The Diversity Services Round Table will advocate for and promote training and development opportunities at the ULA Annual Conference.
Summary of Objectives: The Diversity Services Round Table leadership will encourage members to lead and attend training and conference sessions focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion within librarianship.
Join the Diversity Services Round Table
1. Login to your Wild Apricot account.
2. Click on your name in the top right hand corner to view your profile.
3. Click on the “Edit profile” button.
4. Under the “Round Tables” section, check the box next to “DSRT- Diversity Services Round Table”.
5. Click “Save”.
Do you have a multicultural or diversity event coming up?
We would love to hear about it and showcase it here. Contact one of our officers.
For a broad idea of what’s happening around Utah subscribe to the Utah Office of Multicultural Affairs’ newsletter.
Around the Salt Lake Valley, check out the Salt Lake County Office of Diversity community calendar.
Officers 2020-2021
- Chair: Chaundra Johnson, Utah State Library Division-crjohns@utah.gov
- Vice Chair: Cristina Reyes, Orem Public Library-cmreyes@orem.org
- Secretary: Jennifer McKague, Salt Lake County Library-jmckague@slcolibrary.org
- Members-at-large:
- Katie Wegner, Summit County Library-kwegner@summitcounty.org