Following the 2016 LACUNY Institute on the theme of libraries, racism, and anti-racism, this day-long unconference aims to continue the local conversations, learning, and organizing happening around race and anti-racism in librarianship.
We believe that race matters to both library workers and patrons; it is incumbent upon us to have tough discussions and find a way to address structural racism in our profession, our spaces, and our institutions.
Our goal is to create foster a productive, challenging, and mutually supportive space. We acknowledge that our conversations may be uncomfortable, but that discomfort is part of the growing and learning process and should not be avoided. This will be a space where it is okay not to know, okay to listen, okay to learn and grow.
Unconference Goals
During the Unconference, we will offer multiple channels for participants to engage in discussion, learning, and collaborative work to dismantle structural racism in our professional lives.
We put forth the following questions as a starting place and invite you to share your ideas:
- What strengths do we, as library workers, bring to the movement for racial and social justice?
- What are our challenges, and how do we overcome them?
- What can we do in our professional lives and in the spaces we maintain to de-center whiteness and dismantle oppression?
- How do we work towards racial justice with the communities our libraries serve?
- How can we foster more inclusive hiring and professional development practices?
- How should we train and support the next generation of library workers and integrate more critical theory into our curricula?
- How do we recognize and tackle microaggressions in the workplace?
- How can library leaders and administrators work to include support staff (who are often from underrepresented groups) who are interested in librarianship?
- How do we push past the sometimes placating rhetoric of “diversity” in order to fundamentally re-focus and restructure our practice, the viewpoints represented, and the processes of decision making and governance?
We intend for every attendee to leave with a positive change or idea for action.
Questions? Comments? Please contact the planning co-chairs, Davis Erin Anderson and April Hathcock.