“Inclusion is god damn hard work”
Promoting inclusion in our own library profession: More than a buzz word
There’s a lot of self-reflection that goes into library services. Specifically, when evaluating new or existing ideas geared around the library and its users. What’s the best way to handle this? What can I do to make this process successful? Am I doing enough? These feel like questions I would prompt myself at the end of the day in my journal. Very true. However, these are the kinds of questions that should be considered when looking at our communities and how we can best create inclusive spaces.
Inclusion is important. There isn’t a library professional who would disagree, as it is one of the core concepts taught and reiterated to us throughout our library journey. Along with discussions of diversity and accessibility, these have become terms we now consider as essential. Honestly though, it’s not easy to put these into practice.
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I really enjoyed Christian Lauersen’s keynote on inclusion and belonging in libraries as it emphasized the reality of actions being louder than words when pushing for inclusion. Libraries have a social responsibility to make the spaces they offer and the users they serve feel safe and valued. This also includes providing equitable access to essential technology and resources. In order for meaningful inclusion to take place, library professionals need to recognize that diversity alone is not enough. Diversity is a stepping stone for library professionals to fully tackle the process of inclusion that is made up of individual, formal, and community actions.
“…inclusion is not a fight against evil. Inclusion is god damn hard work because we all carry our blind spots and have our defaults” (Lauersen, 2018).
Inclusion is not easy. There’s a lot of effort that goes into creating meaningful actions. I think one of the most important aspects of inclusion is remembering to hold yourself accountable. Karen Jensen’s blog on radical inclusion through the exploration of policies, practices, and patrons shocked me with the concept of public image. As a library professional, you become one of the many faces of the library. Any decisions or actions made through the library will most likely be critiqued, analyzed, or simply observed by users. With this realization, it’s important to be cautious in how materials are treated, ensuring bias is avoided, and being considerate of casual actions that could come off as hateful or offensive (like with certain slang). One impulsive or differing statement from a library’s original mission can make users believe: “yeah, the library approves this content” (regardless if the statement is positive or not). However, this focus on accountability does not mean libraries are taking neutral stances!
Sidenote: This reflection had me consider the importance of taking a step back and considering the essential process of purposeful actions with inclusion. The act of being purposeful with your actions reminded me of my first assignment post on exploring the need for purposeful change in the creation of new services or ideas-if anyone is interested. For my sources, I took the chance to use Google NotebookLM to test out the AI podcast feature. 10/10! For sure, the realness to the voices freaked me out for a bit, but the experience of listening to the content in a more engaging method was amazing. The ability to make mind maps of the content after for a quick overview was the best too! I recommend using it for future sources if you haven’t had the chance to try it yet.
References
Jensen, K. (2018). The 3ps of creating a welcoming library
Lauersen, C. (2018). Do you want to dance? Inclusion and belonging in libraries and beyond.
4 Comments
Camillia T
Hi Alexis,
The topic of inclusion is a very complicated in the LIS field because there are so many ways to define it. In a lot of lbrary systems near me, I notice that they have months that are dedicated to celebrating a specific community’s language and culture. At the same time, this can make other communities feel like the library is not represented them. The U.S. is a melting pot and there are so many cultures, heritages, and relgions that live within its borders. I am glad that libraries are putting in the effort to be more inclusive and I hope in the future, libraries will figure out ways to clelebrate the heritage, religion, and culture of minority groups.
Alexis Ibarra
I agree that there are so many ways to define inclusion. And with the many ways to define it also come new ways to address inclusion for a library.
I think most local libraries are doing their best to put diversity at the front of their work when creating new programs or displays. A potential challenge for libraries I could see is being complacent in their work for inclusion after one successful use. Inclusion is a process that should always be considered and worked upon.
Michael Stephens
@alexis1barra I heart this! I appreciate how you did not shy away from the point that Christian made about it being hard work. In my library career, I saw a lot of lip service given to various initiatives and topics that just seemed more performative than folks actually doing the work. I’m so glad you covered this.
Alexis Ibarra
I’m so glad you pointed out the real instances of inclusive efforts sometime feeling more performative than actually beneficial. I want the work I put into my library profession to have purpose – where I know that the community members I am supporting, staff opinions, differing viewpoints, and relevant data were all considered equally throughout the process.
I will say that tackling inclusion still does scare me a little. My first instinct is that I don’t want to “mess up” or doing something wrong. I feel I’m currently tackling that first obstacle Cristian highlights of embracing that fear.