Special Interest Group Meeting Notes: EDI SIG 7/25/2024

Haverstraw LibGuide: https://guides.rcls.org/c.php?g=1047374&p=7600604

Agenda: 

1. Video: https://youtu.be/v9wA6IoWvoQ
2. EDI in schools and Libraries
   1. Social Justice Committee
      1. Partnering with another library in a “Community Spotlight” highlighting specific communities
      2. Had Dr Kwanna Bright in to consult – she took surveys and provided ideas on how to improve operations
      3. Audited collections and programs, then developed collection development goals
      4. In Children’s - compensating for lower schools and working with HS librarian to provide multiple copies of materials not available in the school library
      5. Staff working directly with the Board and serving on committees to address policies and evaluate community connections and offerings
   2. Maintaining a Racial and Gender Equity LibGuide
   3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
      1. HS internship for BIPOC students
      2. “Courageous Conversations” within the committee meetings to invite community members in to talk about antiracism and advocacy
      3. Currently rebranding with a new mission statement and developing equity statements and action steps
      4. “Equitable discoveries” newsletter shares news, holidays/observances, media, library and community programs
      5.  Seeking to publicize Committee efforts on the Library’s website to make the work known
   4. Beginning consultation with Dr. Kwanna Bright, focusing on communication within the organization
3. ​​​​​​​EDI in business and communities
   1. Trends shifting – events of 2020 no longer relevant to companies/some individuals
      1. Trends for DEI work require something big to happen
      2. When the trend fizzles, there is more work for the people who care and remain engaged
   2. ​​​​​​​Surprise at the publicly stated removal of DEI interests by companies like Tractor Supply and John Deere (see below)
   3. Some DEI efforts stall due to uncertainty
4. ​​​​​​​
   1. A brutal and obvious removal of DEI interests
   2.  Political climate and alignment, and changing professional mores (such as how individuals may speak to or about one another)
   3. Capitalism produces problems – as long as it makes money, a company will stand by it, but if it negatively impacts the bottom line, they’ll walk it back
   4. Libraries can continue to do highlight DEI importance and efforts because the organizations are not in it for the money
   5. Words/descriptions selected to sugarcoat or avoid offending someone can and does hurt the people in the communities the words are meant to support. Because another group is louder, they receive more attention and the individuals hurt are told to ‘be tough’
5. Articles
   1. https://www.hrdive.com/news/dei-cuts-microsoft-woke-backlash/722281/
   2. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/22/google-meta-other-tech-giants-cut-dei-programs-in-2023.html 
   3. https://www.thehrdigest.com/diversity-takes-a-backseat-as-a-microsoft-dei-team-is-laid-off/ 
6. ​​​​​​​Video: https://youtu.be/vU4rK9bAftw?si=G7cam_8nhb5jSXO6
   1. Existing mission statements reference diversity (or DEI topics), so how will companies walk themselves back out of those initiatives?
   2. Even though mission statements may highlight divers* (mention ‘diverse communities’, ‘diversity’, etc.) but remains vague on the intention of the organization
7. Questions:
   1. How do you feel about this?
   2. How do you respond to people who are like, “Ugh, EDI”
      1. In producing offerings centering a specific community (such as BIPOC), it’s not the only thing that matters nor does it stand to diminish anyone not within the centered community, but it can matter for a specific event
      2. It must be a personal decision whether to spend energy on a person who doesn’t care – focus on the people that care and make yourself and your work known
      3. ​​​​​​​Opening doors can further open doors, as well as cause other (potentially unanticipated) problems
   3. What does it look like in your libraries?