ACRL Core Commitment & Goal Area for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Implementing the Core Commitment
Supporting the Core Commitment
ACRL is active in advocating for policy and legislation through the ALA Washington Office, as well as through coalition work with groups such as the Open Access Working Group and the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) for joint work with ALA and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). To increase ACRL's visibility and influence in the arena of higher education policy development, legislation, and best practices, ACRL speaks out on important issues, including equity, diversity and inclusion. When ACRL signs a letter of support or responds to a request for comments, it is shared through ACRL communication channels, including ACRL Insider, and added to the ACRL Speaks Out webpage.
ALA, ACRL issue joint statement in support of HBCUs after recent bomb threats (February 9, 2022)
The American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) stand in solidarity with the faculty, students, and staff of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and in particular we voice our support for those whose campuses have recently received bomb threats.
We especially wish to reach out to our library colleagues whose libraries anchor these important institutions. We lament that racism and the threat of violence continue to plague our colleagues in higher education, places where students, faculty, and workers come to learn and expand understanding. HBCUs do not exist as places apart. They belong to all of higher education and hatred directed towards these schools affects us all. ALA and its more than 49,000 members, including ACRL and its nearly 9,000 members, are united in their support of our fellow library workers at HBCUs
ACRL Supports APALA and ALA in Condemning Anti-Asian Hate Crimes (March 24, 2021)
ACRL stands in solidarity with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) and amplifies ALA’s Executive Board in recognizing and condemning anti-Asian hate crimes. ACRL affirms APALA’s March 3, 2021, statement which noted that the association “recognizes and strongly condemns the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes that have permeated our country over the past year. Our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities have been deeply impacted by attacks that have caused physical and psychological harm.”
ACRL Statement on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and the Print Collecting Imperative (October 7, 2020)
In keeping with its Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, ACRL recommends that North American research libraries continue to collect and preserve valuable print materials, even as the global COVID-19 crisis and associated financial circumstances may compel them to shift, at least temporarily, to digital formats where available. The association strongly urges libraries to take a deliberate, measured approach to any shift, temporary or permanent, toward an e-centric collection development model, an approach that balances fiscal exigencies with equity, diversity, and inclusion imperatives; takes full stock of the important research and teaching that cannot be accommodated through electronic resource collecting alone; and ensures support for continued print collecting in relevant areas.
ACRL Supports ALA, BCALA, and APALA Statements Condemning Violence and Racism (June 2, 2020)
ACRL supports ALA in condemning violence and racism towards Black people and all people of color. ACRL endorses the statement of the Black Caucus of The American Library Association (BCALA), which condemns the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers within the Minneapolis Police Department. ACRL endorses the statement of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, which denounces the rise in racism and xenophobia against Asians and Asian/Pacific Americans in wake of the outbreak of COVID-19.
ACRL Board Statement Against Racism, Harassment, and Discrimination in the Profession (January 31, 2019)
The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Board of Directors is aware that ALA Midwinter attendees have reported experiencing violations of the conference Code of Conduct, including incidents of racism, harassment, and discrimination. We laud the strength of those who have shared their experiences to draw needed attention to violations, and we abhor the systemic inequities in our profession that have normalized discriminatory, harassing, and racist behaviors.
In March 2021, ACRL joined 36 other organizations to sign the ACLS Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Violence. ACRL stands with ACLS and is, "angry and saddened by the recent increase in incidents of violence against Asians and people of Asian descent in the United States and around the world.” ACLS and the signatories “encourage educators, lawmakers, and community leaders to take this moment to listen closely to Asian and Asian-American voices and work with them in stemming this latest scourge of prejudice and violence.”
We commit to learning more and we encourage you to learn more about ways to support anti-violence and anti-hate efforts against the Asian community:
Joint Statement on Legislative Efforts to Restrict Education about Racism in American History (June 16, 2021)
ACRL joined a number of organizations in co-signing an American Association of University Professors, the American Historical Association, the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and PEN America joint statement stating their “firm opposition” to legislation, introduced in at least 20 states, that would restrict the discussion of “divisive concepts” in public education institutions. The statement notes that "Americans of all ages deserve nothing less than a free and open exchange about history and the forces that shape our world today, an exchange that should take place inside the classroom as well as in the public realm generally. To ban the tools that enable those discussions is to deprive us all of the tools necessary for citizenship in the twenty-first century."
Statement Urging Retraction of Executive Order Prohibiting the Inclusion of “Divisive Concepts” in Employee Training Sessions (October 13, 2020)
ACRL joined 28 organizations in signing onto a statement from the American Historical Association urging the retraction of the recent executive order prohibiting the inclusion of “divisive concepts” in employee training sessions carried out within the federal government and by federal contractors and grantees. The statement argues that "Rather than banning the 'divisive concepts' from any educational venue-whether a classroom, a museum, a national park, or a workplace training session-historians seek to draw public attention to these concepts so that they can be discussed, debated, and ultimately challenged. Unity is not achieved by pushing division under the rug; it can be won even in the face of difference."
The ACRL Board of Directors endorsed on August 26, 2019 an American Historical Association (AHA) statement on Domestic Terrorism, Bigotry, and History. The statement notes that “As the largest organization of professional historians in the world, the AHA condemns the recent deployment of histories invented in the interest of bigotry, violence, and division. Many critics of white nationalism have admirably insisted that ‘this is not who we are.’ If the statements of white nationalists do not reflect who Americans are or want to be, they do compose an undeniable part of our collective past. Those aspects of the nation’s heritage should be exposed and overcome, rather than ignored or celebrated. Knowledge of history can help Americans achieve that goal.”
“ACRL wholly supports the American Historical Association’s moving and timely statement on nativism, violence, and history,” said ACRL President Karen Munro of Simon Fraser University. “The sentiments addressed in the statement reflect our Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s focus on acknowledging and addressing historical racial inequities.”
ACRL is one of more than 30 organizations to sign on in support of the AHA statement.
On May 27, 2020, the ACRL Board of Directors signed the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association's (APALA) statement, which "condemns (the) rise in xenophobia and racism due to the novel coronavirus outbreak." ACRL stands with APALA, and "rejects coronavirus-related hostility, anti-Asian stereotypes, and racism against Asians, Asian/Pacific Americans, or anyone perceived to be Asian." As of June 2020, over 800 individuals and organizations have signed the pledge.
On June 1, 2020, the ACRL Board of Directors endorsed the statement of the Black Caucus of The American Library Association (BCALA), which condemns the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers within the Minneapolis Police Department. The "Statement Condemning Increased Violence and Racism Towards Black Americans and People of Color" includes that "Since George Floyd is the latest in a long line of recent and historical violence against Black people in the United States, the BCALA takes this moment to encourage BCALA members to take proactive and preventative measures in the fight against racism."
In March 2022, ACRL signed a letter of support for an IMLS grant proposal that seeks to study Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) paraprofessionals in academic libraries.
In August 2019, the ACRL Board of Directors approved for ACRL to join eight organizations, institutions, and Native American communities to endorse the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. The Protocols were developed by nineteen Native American and non-Native American archivists, librarians, museum curators, historians, and anthropologists and published in 2007 with support from the American Library Association Office for Diversity, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, The Bay and Paul Foundations, the Northern Arizona University Institute for Native Americans, and Mary and P. David Seaman.
On July 24, 2018, ACRL joined the National Federation of the Blind and eight other library, research and advocacy organizations to express strong support of the passage of the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, S. 2559. The letter states that, “The implementing legislation embodies a consensus approach which balances the need to expand access to information for people who are blind around the world with the responsibility to properly safeguard the interests of rights holders.”
ACRL Diversity Alliance
The ACRL Diversity Alliance program unites academic libraries committed to increasing the hiring pipeline of qualified and talented individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. By working together and thinking more broadly, ACRL Diversity Alliance institutions will help diversify and thereby enrich the profession.
The commitment of each library leader to build an inclusive organizational culture supportive of Black, Indigenous and People of color (BIPOC) will expand opportunities available to individuals from professionally underrepresented groups to gain the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to thrive in an academic context. Library leaders participating in the ACRL Diversity Alliance are committed to opening doors, sharing their networks, and preparing residents and pre-career graduate students for success in scholarship, professional service, and leadership. Residents, pre-career graduate students, and library leaders will each have access to a network so that they can share ideas, resources, and best practices.
ACRL Diversity Alliance Program Goals
In order to unite academic libraries committed to racial equity in their hiring and retention practices of qualified and talented individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, the ACRL Diversity Alliance fosters the:
- Increased adoption of inclusive employment and onboarding practices.
- Development of inclusive healthy workplace cultures that support BIPOC colleagues.
- Creation of paid positions with no required years of experience through early career diversity residencies and graduate student practicums.
- Advancement of career path development of BIPOC early professionals.
- Building of professional network connections for BIPOC individuals.
- Retention of BIPOC librarians and archivists in the profession.
- Commitment of library leaders to the advancement of inclusive leadership and access to the profession.
Benefits to Institutions
- Participation in an effort to improve the pipeline of diverse individuals who will compete for academic and research library jobs.
- Access to other Alliance institution's and coordinator's insights, job postings, and residency rotation schedules.
- Members-only listserv to discuss best practices, ask questions, and share resources.
- Receive annually a digital badge to be placed on the institution’s website, recognizing its commitment to the Alliance’s principles.
- Attract a more diverse candidate pool, by including language in job postings that the institution is part of the Alliance.
ACRL Diversity Alliance Committee
Charge
The Diversity Alliance Committee oversees the ACRL Diversity Alliance program and works closely with ACRL staff to regularly evaluate program goals and materials; cultivates community and development among residency coordinators; fosters engagement and support for residents in conjunction with the ACRL Residency Interest Group (RIG). Oversees and ensures accountability to Diversity Residents and for host institutions, their leaders, and their residency coordinators. Provides a reservoir of expertise and a knowledge base for diversity residents and institutions on relevant issues. Leverages a resident-centered frame in its work.
Tasks
- Regularly reviews program goals, objectives and materials (including the Letter of Commitment, toolkit).
- Provides and recommends up-to-date content and resources for residency coordinators. Works with staff to distribute new information through ALA Connect and/or the ACRL Diversity Alliance LibGuide.
- Assists staff in identifying current diversity residents to be shared with RIG for the purpose of outreach, sharing of resources, and to offer support
- Develops a process and works with staff to implement program assessment.
- Develops a process and works with staff to implement a plan of action for members who break their signed Letter of Commitment.
- Provides a reservoir of expertise and a knowledge base for diversity residents and institutions on issues such as best practices, inclusive hiring, onboarding, retention, inclusive leadership, and inclusive meeting facilitation.
- Develops and delivers professional development related to issues such as best practices, inclusive hiring, onboarding, retention, inclusive leadership, and inclusive meeting facilitation.
- Liaises with the ACRL Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
Origin
The ACRL Board of Directors approved the ACRL Diversity Alliance Committee at their ACRL Board Virtual Meeting (make-up for Annual) on August 1, 2022.
Roster
Coming soon!
ACRL Diversity Alliance Task Force (completed)
Charge
Oversees the ACRL Diversity Alliance and completes the following tasks:
- Develop best practices checklists for leaders and organizational readiness for top organizational leaders (Deans, Directors) who commit to join, support and create residency positions through the DA. This checklist can be agreed upon as leaders join the DA annually.
- Explore program assessment to identify the goals of these residencies and if member institutions are meeting them?
- Develop leadership pledge; along with the signed letter of commitment, each leader must sign leadership pledge.
- Develop member resources, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and organizational culture checklist; Coordinators, training for human resource professionals and department heads; Institutions who create residencies should identify travel support for residents; Clearinghouse for information, schedules and best practices for Mentors/Coordinators; Link institutional efforts through Skill type and other virtual platforms.
- Submit a report to the ACRL Board on the impact of residencies on the professional, and include stories of post-residency positions and surveys.
- Explore if/how institutions unable to create residencies can be members of the DA through contributing to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in other ways and, if possible, articulate the criteria that would allow them to become members of the DA.
Roster
Dr. José A. Aguiñaga(Co-Chair, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
Ms. Annie Belanger(Co-Chair, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
Tracy Bicknell-Holmes(Member, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
Deborah Yun Caldwell(Member, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
Lori Cawthorne(Member, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
Mr. Jesus I. Espinoza(Member, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
Alexandra Howard(Member, July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022)
Mr. Derrick Jefferson(Member, July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022)
Ms. Leslie L. Morgan(Member, July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022)
Ms. Denisse Solis(Member, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
Anastasia Chiu(ACRL Residency Interest Group Representative, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
April D. Cunningham(Board Liaison, July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022)
Dr. Robert Jay Malone(Staff Liaison, September 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022)
Ms. Allison Payne(Staff Liaison, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022)
How Do I Join the ACRL Diversity Alliance?
Joining the ACRL Diversity Alliance requires just two things:
- An annual commitment to the principles of the program as noted above, signed by the library director/dean. Any institutions whose library dean/director signs a letter committing to these principles are eligible for participation/membership in the ACRL Diversity Alliance.
- A fee to support the program.
- $250 Foundational Level -or-
- $500 Bridge Levels
Download the letter of commitment here.
Email signed letter of commitment to ACRL Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives Allison Payne at [email protected]. Invoice will be sent upon receipt of the signed letter.
ACRL Diversity Alliance badges will be delivered to participating institutions upon receipt of the letter of commitment and payment of annual fees.
Membership Fee
The fee for the Diversity Alliance is set by the ACRL Board of Directors as recommended by the Diversity Alliance Task Force. The fee is $500, paid annually by calendar year, and partially offsets administrative costs for the program. The ACRL Diversity Alliance Program requires annual commitments by individual institutions and consortial pricing is not available.
ACRL Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Charge
To oversee and coordinate ACRL’s Core Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as described in the strategic plan. Work with the Board and other units to initiate, advise and mobilize support for appropriate action related to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in academic librarianship—including recruitment, advancement and retention of underrepresented groups to academic and research librarianship and the promotion of library and information services for diverse library users.
Roster
Dr. Regina Hidalgo Gong
(Chair, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)
Sarah McHone-Chase
(Vice-Chair, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)
Ms. Silvia Si Wing Vong
(Past-Chair, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)
Mandy Choie
(Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)
Victoria Ho
(Member, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026)
Cinthya Ippoliti
(Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)
Ken Irwin
(Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)
Ms. Marcela Yael Isuster
(Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)
Katelyn Quirin Manwiller
(Member, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026)
Mrs. Adriana Poo
(Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)
Fable Michael Sonia-Bolduc
(Member, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026)
Ms. Virginia Sytsma
(Member, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026)
Rachel M. Minkin
(Board Liaison, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)
Ms. Allison Payne
(Staff Liaison, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)