We are pleased to share highlights of Wesleyan Library’s most recent efforts to create more equitable and welcoming services and spaces for the Wesleyan community:
- Incorporating the FGLI Textbook Collection into the Science Library, including the creation of an online discovery interface, to increase access to textbooks.
- Installing the WSA BIPOC Browsing Collection in Olin Library in collaboration with WSA students.
- Moving the Wesleyan presidential portraits into chronological order on Olin’s walls to provide historical context. Further text, including a broader view of the Wesleyan community, will be added soon.
- Hosting a variety of student exhibits in Olin, celebrating multiple backgrounds and perspectives.
- Featuring a wide variety of IDEAS Lab student projects in the Science Library Conference Room to showcase a range of student innovation.
- Promoting and increasing the diversity of voices in Wesleyan’s collections and exploring ways to make them more accessible.
- Updating OneSearch cataloging records to reflect more up-to-date and less problematic subject headings and add table of contents, for an improved discovery experience.
- Developing hiring guidelines, following best practices for inclusive searches, and establishing welcoming and retention programs for staff.
- Providing an individualized library racial equity curriculum so that staff can think critically about fighting systemic injustice and revise policies and procedures as needed.
- Holding ongoing staff discussion groups about racial equity and justice issues to promote group learning and build intercultural competence.
- Including a DEIJ lens in developing next year’s individual and library-wide goals.
- Engaging staff in examining and articulating the core values of our library work. We will publish these guiding principles on the library website in the fall to provide transparency to the community and hold ourselves accountable in working towards a more just library.
We welcome your questions, suggestions, and collaborations as we continue this crucial work. Please contact Andrew White, University Librarian.