April 10, 2018 Meeting of Diversity Committee

Minute Taker: Ellen Swain

1. Approve March meeting minutes – All
2. Announcements/Updates
   • Culture of Peace Cultural Connection
   • iSchool Event Friday evening April 27 and Saturday/Sunday April 28/29
     Topic: “Conquering Racism”
     Featuring: * A conversation with Jessie Carney Smith, PhD 1964, Dean of the Library at Fisk University
     * Alumni-faculty-student panels
     * Faculty workshops on designing culturally responsive pedagogy
   • Other
3. Diversity Potluck Plans – Zoe
4. Updating Diversity Statement – See https://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/diversity/
   *Do we want to update this to better align with the campus diversity statement? See http://inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu/mission.html especially the section beginning with DIVERSITY VALUES STATEMENT
5. Other

Next Meeting: May 8, 2018
Jessica Ballard, Minute Taker

Cindy Sue Ingold, Zoe P Revell, Angie Gruendl, Laila Hussein-Moustafa, Heather Murphy, JJ Pionke, Ellen Swain, Donna Hoffman

Minute Taker: Ellen Swain

1. Approved March meeting minutes
2. Additions to the Agenda

   The committee discussed the practice of archiving past meeting documents. Angie will follow up with Nick in IT to determine how and where committee minutes and agendas are electronically managed.

   Committee member Emily Kasak has taken a position outside the Library. Cindy suggested that instead of replacing Emily now, the committee could wait until new assignments are made for FY19.

   Disability Expo was cancelled this year due to a scheduling issue (too close to Champaign-Urbana’s Expo) and students’ inability to complete planning. Potentially try again in fall 2018.

3. Announcements/Updates
   • Cultural of Peace Cultural Connection
     Event went well—thirteen attendees. Should continue in the fall, with iSchool collaboration.
   • iSchool Event Friday evening April 27 and Saturday/Sunday April 28/29
     Topic: “Conquering Racism”
     Featuring: * A conversation with Jessie Carney Smith, PhD 1964, Dean of the Library at Fisk University
     * Alumni-faculty-student panels
     * Faculty workshops on designing culturally responsive pedagogy
   • Other

     Albert Lee events, tentatively August 31, 2018
     Lee was the unofficial Dean of African American students/President’s clerkstudents from c1920-48. Campus and the Archives are dedicating a tombstone at Mt. Hope; holding a Luncheon. AME Bethel church is holding a lyceum, open to the public.

     Project 500 – 50th Anniversary celebration, September 2018
     Multi-day event celebrating anniversary of UI’s first affirmative action program

4. Library Potluck
   Zoe is looking a couple of dates in June at the YMCA.
5. Updating Library diversity statement
   
   Cindy would like to revisit the Library’s diversity statement, October 2010, to align more closely with campus’s statement. Specifically, the last sentence in the Library statement is problematic in that it is exclusive. After discussion, the committee agreed that removing the sentence is the best option. In addition, the committee may want to add a couple of sentences from the campus statement that address the value of diversity. The committee will revisit a new draft at the next meeting.

Zoe expressed interest in a recruitment event for current undergraduate workers in the UI Library. The event would showcase experiences of a wide range of employees (librarians (AP, civil service, & faculty) and administrators in an effort to encourage students to consider library work for their profession. The Library would pay the students to attend and would provide refreshments. The iSchool would be a great partner; Diversity Realized at Illinois Visioning Excellence (DRIVE) grant would be a possible resource (the committee will need to clarify whether this grant could apply to student recruitment). The event could be held in late fall/early spring. Zoe and Donna will investigate possibilities.

Next Meeting: May 8, 2018
Jessica Ballard, Minutes taker