Library Committee Handbook

Diversity Committee 

E-mail:
diversity@library.uiuc.edu

 

 

Library Diversity Committee

Meeting Minutes

April 14, 2009

10-11 a.m.

423 Main Library

 

Present: Cindy Ingold, Emily Love, BA Davis-Howe, Cindy Kelly, Kim Matherly

Absent: Jimi Jones, Gennye Varvel

Guests: Betsy Sweet, Lisa Romero

 

Cindy Ingold chaired the meeting.

 

1.     Discussion with Betsy Sweet

Prof. Betsy Sweet, Assistant Professor and Diversity coordinator in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign came to share ideas on addressing diversity issues on campus. Her research is on women of color in Mexico and Russia around issues of urban planning. She is also affiliated with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at UIUC.

The Diversity Committee provided Prof. Sweet with a brief overview of its mission and activities, such as the workshops on cultural competency held in the fall on how to create a more inclusive environment for librarians and staff offered in conjunction with the School of Social Work; the committee's website, the committee's upcoming exhibit on diversity; diversity metrics for books and people in the Library and the upcoming Eat and Talk Brownbag.

Prof. Sweet and the committee discussed the various programs on- and off-campus to encourage diversity; TOP hires, Emily Love's work with multicultural students; GSLIS' program to encourage underrepresented groups to chose careers in the fields of library and information science; the Learn-Train/ Allied Training Programs for staff; Sam Smith's diversity films and plays through the Krannert Center for Performing Arts (which are good but expensive); and Mass Blast, a program at Boston College to get local students into the library. The Diversity Committee suggested that Prof. Sweet contact the UIUC Office of Equal Opportunity/ Inclusive Illinois;  Ann Bishop at GSLIS, who works with Latinos/as in Chicago; Lori Mestre who teaches a diversity class through GSLIS. One idea might be to dovetail DURP's diversity initiatives around the New Service Model initiatives, particularly with regards to the new Landscape Architecture area at the Funk ACES Library; perhaps the Library and DURP could hold a workshop that brings up issues of diversity.

 

 

2.     Discussion with Lisa Romero

Lisa, the selector for Latino/a Studies attended the meeting to discuss the new Latina/o studies major. She perceives that this new major will have little impact on the library as it presently serves this population. Lisa and Paula Carns are working on a web guide with resources for Latino/a studies.

3.     Minutes for the March meeting were approved.

4.     Emily has offered to take the lead on the committee's upcoming exhibit in September in the North-South hallway of the first floor. Her Graduate Assistant will help. Emily and Cindy will share ideas about the exhibit and the rest of the committee will discuss them at the May meeting.

Submitted by Paula Carns

Meeting adjourned at 11am.