Library Links

• Home
• Services
• Get Help
• About Us

Diversity Committee Minutes April 13, 2010

Library Diversity Committee

Meeting Minutes

April 13, 2010

10-11 a.m.

428 Main Library

Cindy Ingold, Chairing Meeting

B.A. Davis Howe, Minute Taker

Present:  Vanessa Biggers, Paula Carns, Lewis Chatman, B.A. Davis-Howe, Cindy Ingold, Emily Love, Gennye Varvel

AGENDA

1. Approval of March 9 minutes-approved as is

1. Follow-up of Workshops on Inclusion Requires U and I

We discussed both the workshops led by Ross Wantland and Katie Weseman in March, and the library-wide retreat in January.  The most fruitful component of both programs was the discussion in small groups where we got to know people we don't normally interact with; some individuals began relationships with table-mates at the January retreat that have continued.  We are strongly in favor of continuing to have assigned seating with people we don't know at future retreats.  We discussed planning programming that addresses aspects of diversity that we have not previously addressed in our programming, particularly urban/suburban/rural diversity.  The perspectives of Vanessa Biggers and Lewis Chatman-both of whom were not aware of the Library Diversity Committee before the January retreat-were particularly helpful.

1. Updates:

• Big Read-Emily shared that the Big Read program (involving the Champaign Public Library, the Urbana Free Library, and the University Library) has created multiple opportunities for a range of people to interact
• CDMS Conference-Emily reported briefly on her experience there
• Cookie Breaks to discuss Diversity Statement-postponed to May

1. Future Programs/Speakers

• Anna Gonzalez (Vice Chancellor for Inclusion)-Potential speaker for the August (or future) library-wide retreat
• Movie Nights-We would like to host an occasional movie night for Library employees and their families. One resource is the Film Movement Series, which is a subscription where the library receives a DVD of a feature film with the rights for one public showing. (We don't have showing rights for most feature films.) We are looking into scheduling a showing of Arranged (DVD 791.436552 Ar691) this summer, followed by an opportunity for discussion. Arranged "centers on the friendship between an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman who meet as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. Over the course of the year they learn they share much in common - not least of which is that they are both going through the process of arranged marriages."

Next Meeting:  May 11, 2010

                                    Emily Love, chairing meeting

For comments on this page contact: Gateway Conversion

Last modified by: Kimberley Matherly on 10/27/10