Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Emory Libraries Diversity Statement

Emory Libraries recognize diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values integral to empowering the university community to pursue justice for all; we strive to be an anti-oppression organization.

• Libraries are uniquely positioned to support DEI as knowledge centers and repositories of ideas and perspectives.
  • Through our spaces, resources, and programming, we connect members of our university’s many communities.
  • Fighting bias and misinformation and encouraging critical thought are cornerstones of library work.
• We acknowledge that we are not in a neutral space and that our institutional history reflects the structural and systemic injustices of our country.
  • We recognize and honor the work and accomplishments of social justice activists who came before us and will share their stories.
  • We reject the philosophy of library neutrality, which perpetuates oppressive practices and actively harms our community members.*
• We aspire to create an inclusive work environment through professional development, encouragement of personal growth, restorative communication practices, and active recruitment and retention of diverse groups that are underrepresented in our profession.
• We also recognize the importance of practicing cultural humility and the continual need to educate ourselves so that we are proactive and open to creating safer spaces for all. These goals requires attentiveness to engagement and openness toward accountability in conversations and policies.
• To encourage an inviting and supportive climate, we commit to offering creative and engaging ways to foster productive dialogue and interaction with our collections and programs.
• As the world changes, so will we. The struggle for social justice is ongoing. We accept the principle of non-closure and acknowledge that our understanding and awareness is constantly evolving.

*Anastasia Chiu, Fobazi M. Ettarh, and Jennifer A. Ferretti, “Not the Shark, but the Water: How Neutrality and Vocational Awe Intertwine to Uphold White Supremacy,” In Knowledge Justice: Disrupting Library and Information Studies through Critical Race Theory, eds. Sofia Y. Leung and Jorge R. López-McKnight (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2021), 49-72.

Emory Libraries Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee 

The Emory Libraries Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee supports Emory’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment for federally protected groups and additional historically underrepresented members of our community. Visit our webpage for more information on the committee’s charge and framework.

Restrooms 

At Emory University, individuals may use restrooms that most closely align with their gender identity. For individuals who are not comfortable using multistall single gender restrooms, Emory’s Office of LGBT Life has compiled a list of single-stall or single-occupant restrooms on campus.

Investments in External Open Access Initiatives

Equitable access to information for all humankind is a fundamental goal for libraries, and we at Emory Libraries are proud to showcase our investments in open access initiatives external to our campus. These initiatives help ensure that people from all parts of the globe can access the full text of published scholarly works, leading to faster, more effective responses to worldwide issues such as climate change, pandemics, and more.

Support for the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications 

Emory Libraries has concrete plans and actions under way to demonstrate our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work we do on our campus and in collaborative efforts that extend beyond our university. For example, leadership at Emory Libraries has responded to a call for support from the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (a.k.a. C4DISC). This organization has a goal of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the network of international professional organizations focused on or closely related to scholarly publishing. C4DISC members include the Association of University Presses, CrossRef, the North American Serials Interest Group, the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association, the Society for Scholarly Publishing, and the UK Serials Group – all of whom represent suppliers of goods and services to academic libraries. Thus, if we want to provide more diverse collections to our users, we need to support C4DISC and its member organizations. Emory Libraries leadership and staff members are proud to join C4DISC as a Bronze-Level Partner and to adopt its Joint Statement of Principles:

In principle and in practice, collectively, our organizations value and seek diversity and inclusive practices within the scholarly communications ecosystem. Our goal is to promote involvement, innovation, and expanded access to leadership opportunities that maximize engagement across identity groups and professional levels. Identity groups include and are not limited to ability/disability, age, appearance, citizenship status, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, geographic location, military/veteran status, nationality/national origin, political beliefs, pregnancy/parental status, professional career level, race/color, religion/value system, sexual orientation, and socio economic background/social class. 

Collectively we will provide leadership and commit time and resources to accomplish this objective while serving as a model to our members, as well as individuals and organizations engaged in D+I endeavors.

We are committed to: 

• eliminating barriers to participation, extending equitable opportunities across all stakeholders, and ensuring that our practices and policies promote equitable treatment and do not allow, condone, or result in discrimination;
• creating and maintaining an environment that respects diverse traditions, heritages, and experiences;
• promoting diversity in all staff, volunteers, and audiences, including full participation in programs, policy formulation, and decision-making;
• raising awareness about career opportunities in our industries to groups who are currently underrepresented in the workforce;
• supporting our members in achieving diversity and inclusion within their organizations.