Library Committee Handbook

Diversity Committee 

E-mail:
diversity@library.uiuc.edu

 

Library Diversity Committee Meeting Minutes

February 12, 2008

10-11 am
423 Main Library

 

Present:  Cindy Ingold, co-chair; Emily Love, co-chair; Mary Beth Allen; Lisa Romero; Gennye Varvel

Absent:  BA Davis-Howe, Kim Matherly

Guests:  Chad Martinez, Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (OEOA); Emma Lincoln, Library Preservation

Cindy Ingold took minutes for Kim Matherly.

  1. Approval of Minutes from December 11, 2007.
    Minutes were approved. Cindy asked if individuals at the holiday party had been assigned numbers to sit at random tables so that the same people would not always be sitting together. After consultation with the Chair of the Social Events Committee, we decided not to do this as it might decrease attendance at social events.
  2. Discussion with Chad Martinez

    The committee had invited Chad to this meeting to discuss training options dealing with the topics of cultural communications and class differences.  Emily explained that these topics emerged in surveys of attendees of previous Library diversity training sessions.

    Chad first discussed the current training being offered this spring through the OEOA around the issue of enhancing the workplace environment.  These will be one hour sessions using parts of the Just Be F.A.I.R. DVD, and also focusing on sexual harassment and dealing with people with disabilities.  These two topics are being discussed in the sessions, because these are the areas where OEOA receives the most complaints.  Ninety minute sessions geared to supervisors will provide more content, specifically how to have respectful communication when dealing with difficult situations.  Chad suggested that one of these management sessions might be adapted for the Library to use for talking about communication issues in general.  Lisa Romero is attending one of the supervisory sessions and will report back to the committee.

    The OEOA has not found a good program dealing with cultural awareness or class issues. Chad said it is difficult to find good diversity programming geared to higher education.  However, the OEOA is interested in developing more programming. Chad would be interested in working with us do develop talking points and programming around these issues. Emily will contact Chad in the late spring to begin working on these issues with his office.  Cindy will also email the ALA Diversity list to see what other libraries may have done around these issues.

    Chad also said he would be interested in working with us on training for new Graduate Assistants in August 2008.  Emily will invite David Ward and Kathleen Kern to the March 11 meeting.

  3. Discussion on Diversity metrics and our upcoming meeting with Paula Kaufman

    Cindy, Emily and Scott have met a few times to talk about providing diversity metrics to the Provost's office.  In mid-January, Cindy shared the document discussing this with the committee. At this point, we are not exactly sure what we need to provide this year.  Cindy and Emily will keep the committee informed.

    The committee will meet with Paula from 2-3 p.m. on February 22 to specifically discuss issues of recruitment and retention of diverse faculty.  We will also talk to Paula about how we can encourage recruitment and retention of staff.

  4. Subcommittee of Staff Training and Development (Cindy)

    The Customer Service Subcommittee of STDC met on Monday February 4.  Beth Woodard, Susie Duncan, and Cindy were present.  This group had found a DVD titled Customer Service at the Library done by a company called Think & Do.  The video is short and provides clear and not too clichéd examples of providing better customer service in libraries.  Beth will be using this DVD with staff in Library facilities.  We agreed that it would be good to provide opportunities for the Library as a whole to view the DVD.

    Beth will email Paula asking her to encourage all staff to attend the enhancing the workplace environment sessions being offered through the OEOA.

  5. Web site Update (Emily)
    The OEOA plans to move the links from the bottom of the Library Diversity and Multicultural Information web site (under Student Resources, Faculty/Staff Resources, and Community Resources) to the Inclusive Illinois web site.  Once this is done, Emily will then simply add a link to Inclusive Illinois.  Emily also plans to add information to the web site about recruitment of individuals into the library profession.

  6. Miscellaneous
    The committee endorsed adding Emma Lincoln as a new member.  Cindy will contact Paula about this.

    The next meeting is March 11, 2008, at 10 a.m. in Room 423.  Kim Matherly will take minutes.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Cindy Ingold