Discomfort with Wednesday post about "neutrality"
Hello, all -- There was a post on this earlier this week in which a librarian asked for advice on policies that would help her library navigate the pushback some of her DEI posts are receiving. Their query received one response. Admitting that they had not viewed the content in question, the respondent argued that the profession should be more careful about betraying neutrality and that we would do well to walk more in the shoes of our (assumed majority white) patrons and plan posts accordingly. I have been really uncomfortable about that for the past few days and have been waiting for someone to pipe up and voice concern about it. And now I am more uncomfortable that no one has, so I guess it's time for me to. Our profession's Code of Ethics advocates for equitable access and service for all <http://www.ala.org/united/sites/ala.org.united/files/content/trustees/orgtools/policies/ALA-code-of-ethics.pdf> and that we leave our personal perspectives at the door when we show up to work to live out the library's mission. The Code of Ethics never actually says, "Be neutral," or, "Equity matters, but if it ruffles a few feathers, just let it go." I am haunted by Elie Wiesel's articulation that, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/26054-elie-wiesel-acceptance-speech-1986/>." When we ask whose shoes we should be walking in, we might do better to ask who is most in need of empathy and whose perspectives are most underrrepresented. I'm no DEI expert. I know how far I have to go in my own journey and that I have said and done dumb or hurtful things when I didn't know better. But if we are going to say we're proud to serve all, we have to acknowledge that this should not be a self-congratulatory pat on the back but a call to action. I don't believe that shame is an effective learning tool <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-culture.html>, and I am NOT writing this to provoke angry jabs at the respondent. We may share a goal of equity but have different paths of getting there. Libraries outside of metropolitan areas serve very different communities from those in more diverse areas, and our action steps toward equity may look different or move at different rhythms or speeds ... as long as we keep moving forward. I hope this message will help us all have a chance to take a deep breath, step back from the weird and stressful times we are living in, and ask, "How can our library welcome a wider swath of the population?" Thanks for reading and for everything you do to help those who need it most. Kristin -- Kristin Fontichiaro University of Michigan School of Information 4427 North Quad 105 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 734.647.3593 Blog <http://fontichiaro.com/activelearning> | Book an Appointment (school year only) <https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUFHX1E5cXRtYUVQfGRlZmF1bHR8YmY3NDdlYzA4ZDM2MjFmMzAzMDM2OTA3NGM3NjliMzQ> *Projects:* Michigan Makers <http://michiganmakers.si.umich.edu> | Making in Michigan Libraries <http://makinglibraries.si.umich.edu> Data Literacy in High School <http://dataliteracy.si.umich.edu> | Public Library Management MOOC <http://ai.umich.edu/portfolio/public-library-management/>
Kristin, Well said. Thank you! Ann [cid:image002.png@01D732D9.3770F280] Ann Kucera (she, her, hers) System Librarian | Library Systems Park Library 305 | Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 P: 989-774-2404 | E: kucer1a@cmich.edu www.cmich.edu<http://www.cmich.edu/> From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org> On Behalf Of Kristin Fontichiaro via Michlib-l Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 3:32 PM To: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: [External] [Michlib-l] Discomfort with Wednesday post about "neutrality" Hello, all -- There was a post on this earlier this week in which a librarian asked for advice on policies that would help her library navigate the pushback some of her DEI posts are receiving. Their query received one response. Admitting that they had not viewed the content in question, the respondent argued that the profession should be more careful about betraying neutrality and that we would do well to walk more in the shoes of our (assumed majority white) patrons and plan posts accordingly. I have been really uncomfortable about that for the past few days and have been waiting for someone to pipe up and voice concern about it. And now I am more uncomfortable that no one has, so I guess it's time for me to. Our profession's Code of Ethics advocates for equitable access and service for all<http://www.ala.org/united/sites/ala.org.united/files/content/trustees/orgtools/policies/ALA-code-of-ethics.pdf> and that we leave our personal perspectives at the door when we show up to work to live out the library's mission. The Code of Ethics never actually says, "Be neutral," or, "Equity matters, but if it ruffles a few feathers, just let it go." I am haunted by Elie Wiesel's articulation that, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim<https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/26054-elie-wiesel-acceptance-speech-1986/>." When we ask whose shoes we should be walking in, we might do better to ask who is most in need of empathy and whose perspectives are most underrrepresented. I'm no DEI expert. I know how far I have to go in my own journey and that I have said and done dumb or hurtful things when I didn't know better. But if we are going to say we're proud to serve all, we have to acknowledge that this should not be a self-congratulatory pat on the back but a call to action. I don't believe that shame is an effective learning tool<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-culture.html>, and I am NOT writing this to provoke angry jabs at the respondent. We may share a goal of equity but have different paths of getting there. Libraries outside of metropolitan areas serve very different communities from those in more diverse areas, and our action steps toward equity may look different or move at different rhythms or speeds ... as long as we keep moving forward. I hope this message will help us all have a chance to take a deep breath, step back from the weird and stressful times we are living in, and ask, "How can our library welcome a wider swath of the population?" Thanks for reading and for everything you do to help those who need it most. Kristin -- Kristin Fontichiaro University of Michigan School of Information 4427 North Quad 105 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 734.647.3593 Blog<http://fontichiaro.com/activelearning> | Book an Appointment (school year only) <https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUFHX1E5cXRtYUVQfGRlZmF1bHR8YmY3NDdlYzA4ZDM2MjFmMzAzMDM2OTA3NGM3NjliMzQ> Projects: Michigan Makers<http://michiganmakers.si.umich.edu> | Making in Michigan Libraries<http://makinglibraries.si.umich.edu> Data Literacy in High School<http://dataliteracy.si.umich.edu> | Public Library Management MOOC<http://ai.umich.edu/portfolio/public-library-management/>
Hi Kristin. Very well said. I admit I just skimmed it and deleted it, but I appreciate you taking the time to address the response. I agree that libraries cannot be neutral when it comes to encouraging our communities to "know better so you do better." I had a particular issue with the respondent's claim that DEI related posts are only "necessary" when there are "actual problems with individuals not feeling included" and their question as to whether we are "truly bringing culture to the community that is of interest" or just "diversity for diversity's sake". Posts highlighting diversity, equity and inclusivity are not just "for" the minority who may not have seen their particular community's accomplishments acknowledged in the past. The posts are also important to bring awareness to the majority - why are they noticing that these posts are different? Why do they feel uncomfortable when they see these posts? Examining our own biases and blindness is often not comfortable. And helping our patrons become better people is often what the library strives for - entertainment, information, education, community - it seems to me that everything we do is about making the world a better place. Thanks again to Kristin. And I hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Jocelyn Jocelyn Levin, MLIS Youth and Teen Services Librarian jlevin@lyon.lib.mi.us Lyon Township Public Library 27005 Milford Rd, South Lyon, MI 48178 248.437.8800 Ext. 615 [ http://www.lyon.lib.mi.us/ | www.lyon.lib.mi.us ] From: "Michlib-l" <michlib-l@mcls.org> To: "Michlib-l" <michlib-l@mcls.org> Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 3:32:08 PM Subject: [Michlib-l] Discomfort with Wednesday post about "neutrality" Hello, all -- There was a post on this earlier this week in which a librarian asked for advice on policies that would help her library navigate the pushback some of her DEI posts are receiving. Their query received one response. Admitting that they had not viewed the content in question, the respondent argued that the profession should be more careful about betraying neutrality and that we would do well to walk more in the shoes of our (assumed majority white) patrons and plan posts accordingly. I have been really uncomfortable about that for the past few days and have been waiting for someone to pipe up and voice concern about it. And now I am more uncomfortable that no one has, so I guess it's time for me to. Our profession's Code of Ethics advocates for [ http://www.ala.org/united/sites/ala.org.united/files/content/trustees/orgtoo... | equitable access and service for all ] and that we leave our personal perspectives at the door when we show up to work to live out the library's mission. The Code of Ethics never actually says, "Be neutral," or, "Equity matters, but if it ruffles a few feathers, just let it go." I am haunted by Elie Wiesel's articulation that, " [ https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/26054-elie-wiesel-accept... | Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim ] ." When we ask whose shoes we should be walking in, we might do better to ask who is most in need of empathy and whose perspectives are most underrrepresented. I'm no DEI expert. I know how far I have to go in my own journey and that I have said and done dumb or hurtful things when I didn't know better. But if we are going to say we're proud to serve all, we have to acknowledge that this should not be a self-congratulatory pat on the back but a call to action. I [ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-c... | don't believe that shame is an effective learning tool ] , and I am NOT writing this to provoke angry jabs at the respondent. We may share a goal of equity but have different paths of getting there. Libraries outside of metropolitan areas serve very different communities from those in more diverse areas, and our action steps toward equity may look different or move at different rhythms or speeds ... as long as we keep moving forward. I hope this message will help us all have a chance to take a deep breath, step back from the weird and stressful times we are living in, and ask, "How can our library welcome a wider swath of the population?" Thanks for reading and for everything you do to help those who need it most. Kristin -- Kristin Fontichiaro University of Michigan School of Information 4427 North Quad 105 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 734.647.3593 [ http://fontichiaro.com/activelearning | Blog ] | [ https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUFHX1E5cXRtYUVQfGRlZmF1bH... | Book an Appointment (school year only) ] Projects: [ http://michiganmakers.si.umich.edu/ | Michigan Makers ] | [ http://makinglibraries.si.umich.edu/ | Making in Michigan Libraries ] [ http://dataliteracy.si.umich.edu/ | Data Literacy in High School ] | [ http://ai.umich.edu/portfolio/public-library-management/ | Public Library Management MOOC ] _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
I also would like to thank Kristin for speaking up. I spent time looking for answers to Kim's question but was struggling to find the "right" words. Maybe I looked past it - is there a social media "toolkit" that assists libraries with developing policies, canned responses to comments, strategies for shifting the conversation back to its original focus? Thanks again Kristin Kathie Kathie Mason Collections Librarian Eastern Michigan University On Fri, Apr 16, 2021, 3:34 PM Kristin Fontichiaro via Michlib-l < michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
There was a post on this earlier this week in which a librarian asked for advice on policies that would help her library navigate the pushback some of her DEI posts are receiving. Their query received one response. Admitting that they had not viewed the content in question, the respondent argued that the profession should be more careful about betraying neutrality and that we would do well to walk more in the shoes of our (assumed majority white) patrons and plan posts accordingly.
I have been really uncomfortable about that for the past few days and have been waiting for someone to pipe up and voice concern about it. And now I am more uncomfortable that no one has, so I guess it's time for me to.
Our profession's Code of Ethics advocates for equitable access and service for all <http://www.ala.org/united/sites/ala.org.united/files/content/trustees/orgtools/policies/ALA-code-of-ethics.pdf> and that we leave our personal perspectives at the door when we show up to work to live out the library's mission. The Code of Ethics never actually says, "Be neutral," or, "Equity matters, but if it ruffles a few feathers, just let it go." I am haunted by Elie Wiesel's articulation that, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/26054-elie-wiesel-acceptance-speech-1986/>." When we ask whose shoes we should be walking in, we might do better to ask who is most in need of empathy and whose perspectives are most underrrepresented.
I'm no DEI expert. I know how far I have to go in my own journey and that I have said and done dumb or hurtful things when I didn't know better. But if we are going to say we're proud to serve all, we have to acknowledge that this should not be a self-congratulatory pat on the back but a call to action.
I don't believe that shame is an effective learning tool <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-culture.html>, and I am NOT writing this to provoke angry jabs at the respondent. We may share a goal of equity but have different paths of getting there. Libraries outside of metropolitan areas serve very different communities from those in more diverse areas, and our action steps toward equity may look different or move at different rhythms or speeds ... as long as we keep moving forward.
I hope this message will help us all have a chance to take a deep breath, step back from the weird and stressful times we are living in, and ask, "How can our library welcome a wider swath of the population?"
Thanks for reading and for everything you do to help those who need it most.
Kristin
-- Kristin Fontichiaro University of Michigan School of Information 4427 North Quad 105 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 734.647.3593 Blog <http://fontichiaro.com/activelearning> | Book an Appointment (school year only) <https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUFHX1E5cXRtYUVQfGRlZmF1bHR8YmY3NDdlYzA4ZDM2MjFmMzAzMDM2OTA3NGM3NjliMzQ>
*Projects:* Michigan Makers <http://michiganmakers.si.umich.edu> | Making in Michigan Libraries <http://makinglibraries.si.umich.edu> Data Literacy in High School <http://dataliteracy.si.umich.edu> | Public Library Management MOOC <http://ai.umich.edu/portfolio/public-library-management/>
_______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
ALA has a good tool kit here <http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/socialmediaguidelines> . It at least provides some advice and philosophy though not a template for a policy. Hopefully some shared their policies off list to OP. HTH, Mary Mary Jean Harrison Director Coloma Public Library 151 W. Center Street PO Box 430 Coloma Michigan 49083 269-468-3431 <http://www.colomapubliclibrary.net/> www.colomapubliclibrary.net The most important asset of any library goes home at night – the library staff. Timothy Healy From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org> On Behalf Of Katherine Mason via Michlib-l Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 4:21 PM To: Kristin Fontichiaro <font@umich.edu> Cc: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] Discomfort with Wednesday post about "neutrality" I also would like to thank Kristin for speaking up. I spent time looking for answers to Kim's question but was struggling to find the "right" words. Maybe I looked past it - is there a social media "toolkit" that assists libraries with developing policies, canned responses to comments, strategies for shifting the conversation back to its original focus? Thanks again Kristin Kathie Kathie Mason Collections Librarian Eastern Michigan University On Fri, Apr 16, 2021, 3:34 PM Kristin Fontichiaro via Michlib-l <michlib-l@mcls.org <mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org> > wrote: Hello, all -- There was a post on this earlier this week in which a librarian asked for advice on policies that would help her library navigate the pushback some of her DEI posts are receiving. Their query received one response. Admitting that they had not viewed the content in question, the respondent argued that the profession should be more careful about betraying neutrality and that we would do well to walk more in the shoes of our (assumed majority white) patrons and plan posts accordingly. I have been really uncomfortable about that for the past few days and have been waiting for someone to pipe up and voice concern about it. And now I am more uncomfortable that no one has, so I guess it's time for me to. Our profession's Code of Ethics advocates for equitable access and service for all <http://www.ala.org/united/sites/ala.org.united/files/content/trustees/orgtools/policies/ALA-code-of-ethics.pdf> and that we leave our personal perspectives at the door when we show up to work to live out the library's mission. The Code of Ethics never actually says, "Be neutral," or, "Equity matters, but if it ruffles a few feathers, just let it go." I am haunted by Elie Wiesel's articulation that, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/26054-elie-wiesel-acceptance-speech-1986/> ." When we ask whose shoes we should be walking in, we might do better to ask who is most in need of empathy and whose perspectives are most underrrepresented. I'm no DEI expert. I know how far I have to go in my own journey and that I have said and done dumb or hurtful things when I didn't know better. But if we are going to say we're proud to serve all, we have to acknowledge that this should not be a self-congratulatory pat on the back but a call to action. I don't believe that shame is an effective learning tool <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-culture.html> , and I am NOT writing this to provoke angry jabs at the respondent. We may share a goal of equity but have different paths of getting there. Libraries outside of metropolitan areas serve very different communities from those in more diverse areas, and our action steps toward equity may look different or move at different rhythms or speeds ... as long as we keep moving forward. I hope this message will help us all have a chance to take a deep breath, step back from the weird and stressful times we are living in, and ask, "How can our library welcome a wider swath of the population?" Thanks for reading and for everything you do to help those who need it most. Kristin -- Kristin Fontichiaro University of Michigan School of Information 4427 North Quad 105 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 734.647.3593 Blog <http://fontichiaro.com/activelearning> | <https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUFHX1E5cXRtYUVQfGRlZmF1bHR8YmY3NDdlYzA4ZDM2MjFmMzAzMDM2OTA3NGM3NjliMzQ> Book an Appointment (school year only) Projects: Michigan Makers <http://michiganmakers.si.umich.edu> | Making in Michigan Libraries <http://makinglibraries.si.umich.edu> Data Literacy in High School <http://dataliteracy.si.umich.edu> | Public Library Management MOOC <http://ai.umich.edu/portfolio/public-library-management/> _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org <mailto:Michlib-l@mcls.org> https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
Thank you for replying, Kristin. I had actually tried to begin to compose a reply on the day the post in question appeared. I was working at the reference desk at the time, and since I couldn't quickly find the right words when I got interrupted I just let it go. I figured someone else out there would reply, especially with all the great workshops a lot of us recently attended for Spring Institute. This just teaches me that I can't wait for someone else. Holly Kirsten Head of Information and Outreach Services Chesterfield Township Library p: 586-598-4900 ext. 235 a: 50560 Patricia St. Chesterfield, MI 48051 w: chelibrary.org Raising a reader is: Talking * Singing * Reading * Writing * Playing On Fri, Apr 16, 2021 at 3:36 PM Kristin Fontichiaro via Michlib-l < michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
There was a post on this earlier this week in which a librarian asked for advice on policies that would help her library navigate the pushback some of her DEI posts are receiving. Their query received one response. Admitting that they had not viewed the content in question, the respondent argued that the profession should be more careful about betraying neutrality and that we would do well to walk more in the shoes of our (assumed majority white) patrons and plan posts accordingly.
I have been really uncomfortable about that for the past few days and have been waiting for someone to pipe up and voice concern about it. And now I am more uncomfortable that no one has, so I guess it's time for me to.
Our profession's Code of Ethics advocates for equitable access and service for all <http://www.ala.org/united/sites/ala.org.united/files/content/trustees/orgtools/policies/ALA-code-of-ethics.pdf> and that we leave our personal perspectives at the door when we show up to work to live out the library's mission. The Code of Ethics never actually says, "Be neutral," or, "Equity matters, but if it ruffles a few feathers, just let it go." I am haunted by Elie Wiesel's articulation that, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/26054-elie-wiesel-acceptance-speech-1986/>." When we ask whose shoes we should be walking in, we might do better to ask who is most in need of empathy and whose perspectives are most underrrepresented.
I'm no DEI expert. I know how far I have to go in my own journey and that I have said and done dumb or hurtful things when I didn't know better. But if we are going to say we're proud to serve all, we have to acknowledge that this should not be a self-congratulatory pat on the back but a call to action.
I don't believe that shame is an effective learning tool <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-culture.html>, and I am NOT writing this to provoke angry jabs at the respondent. We may share a goal of equity but have different paths of getting there. Libraries outside of metropolitan areas serve very different communities from those in more diverse areas, and our action steps toward equity may look different or move at different rhythms or speeds ... as long as we keep moving forward.
I hope this message will help us all have a chance to take a deep breath, step back from the weird and stressful times we are living in, and ask, "How can our library welcome a wider swath of the population?"
Thanks for reading and for everything you do to help those who need it most.
Kristin
-- Kristin Fontichiaro University of Michigan School of Information 4427 North Quad 105 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 734.647.3593 Blog <http://fontichiaro.com/activelearning> | Book an Appointment (school year only) <https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUFHX1E5cXRtYUVQfGRlZmF1bHR8YmY3NDdlYzA4ZDM2MjFmMzAzMDM2OTA3NGM3NjliMzQ>
*Projects:* Michigan Makers <http://michiganmakers.si.umich.edu> | Making in Michigan Libraries <http://makinglibraries.si.umich.edu> Data Literacy in High School <http://dataliteracy.si.umich.edu> | Public Library Management MOOC <http://ai.umich.edu/portfolio/public-library-management/>
_______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
I have to admit, I saved that post so I could re-read it because I felt I was missing the respondent's point. I am the first one to feel that email is not the best way to express myself, so thank you Kristin for the well-done comments. I know we here at Bellaire often walk the fine line between making sure we are remaining welcoming to all and being everything our community wants us to be. --- Cindi L. Place, MLIS Director, Bellaire Public Library bellairelibrary@torchlake.com 231-533-8814 On 2021-04-17 13:12, Holly Kirsten via Michlib-l wrote:
Thank you for replying, Kristin. I had actually tried to begin to compose a reply on the day the post in question appeared. I was working at the reference desk at the time, and since I couldn't quickly find the right words when I got interrupted I just let it go. I figured someone else out there would reply, especially with all the great workshops a lot of us recently attended for Spring Institute. This just teaches me that I can't wait for someone else.
Holly Kirsten Head of Information and Outreach Services Chesterfield Township Library
p: 586-598-4900 ext. 235 a: 50560 Patricia St. Chesterfield, MI 48051 w: chelibrary.org [10]
Raising a reader is: Talking * Singing * Reading * Writing * Playing
On Fri, Apr 16, 2021 at 3:36 PM Kristin Fontichiaro via Michlib-l <michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Hello, all --
There was a post on this earlier this week in which a librarian asked for advice on policies that would help her library navigate the pushback some of her DEI posts are receiving. Their query received one response. Admitting that they had not viewed the content in question, the respondent argued that the profession should be more careful about betraying neutrality and that we would do well to walk more in the shoes of our (assumed majority white) patrons and plan posts accordingly.
I have been really uncomfortable about that for the past few days and have been waiting for someone to pipe up and voice concern about it. And now I am more uncomfortable that no one has, so I guess it's time for me to.
Our profession's Code of Ethics advocates for equitable access and service for all [1] and that we leave our personal perspectives at the door when we show up to work to live out the library's mission. The Code of Ethics never actually says, "Be neutral," or, "Equity matters, but if it ruffles a few feathers, just let it go." I am haunted by Elie Wiesel's articulation that, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim [2]." When we ask whose shoes we should be walking in, we might do better to ask who is most in need of empathy and whose perspectives are most underrrepresented.
I'm no DEI expert. I know how far I have to go in my own journey and that I have said and done dumb or hurtful things when I didn't know better. But if we are going to say we're proud to serve all, we have to acknowledge that this should not be a self-congratulatory pat on the back but a call to action.
I don't believe that shame is an effective learning tool [3], and I am NOT writing this to provoke angry jabs at the respondent. We may share a goal of equity but have different paths of getting there. Libraries outside of metropolitan areas serve very different communities from those in more diverse areas, and our action steps toward equity may look different or move at different rhythms or speeds ... as long as we keep moving forward.
I hope this message will help us all have a chance to take a deep breath, step back from the weird and stressful times we are living in, and ask, "How can our library welcome a wider swath of the population?"
Thanks for reading and for everything you do to help those who need it most.
Kristin
--
Kristin Fontichiaro University of Michigan School of Information 4427 North Quad 105 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 734.647.3593 Blog [4] | Book an Appointment (school year only) [5]
Projects: Michigan Makers [6] | Making in Michigan Libraries [7] Data Literacy in High School [8] | Public Library Management MOOC [9]
_______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
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Links: ------ [1] http://www.ala.org/united/sites/ala.org.united/files/content/trustees/orgtoo... [2] https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/26054-elie-wiesel-accept... [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-c... [4] http://fontichiaro.com/activelearning [5] https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUFHX1E5cXRtYUVQfGRlZmF1bH... [6] http://michiganmakers.si.umich.edu [7] http://makinglibraries.si.umich.edu [8] http://dataliteracy.si.umich.edu [9] http://ai.umich.edu/portfolio/public-library-management/ [10] https://chelibrary.org/
I’m thankful for Kristin for bringing this up. Project READY is a free curriculum that has been invaluable to me for learning about equity and access in libraries and they have a module about the ‘neutrality’ of libraries and library workers that (in my opinion) is a must read for every library worker. You can read that module by using the link below. Assumption #4: Libraries and librarians are not neutral. https://ready.web.unc.edu/section-1-foundations/module-1b-introduction/<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fready.web.unc.edu%2Fsection-1-foundations%2Fmodule-1b-introduction%2F&data=04%7C01%7CWartellaB%40michigan.gov%7C0bed5fc3aa7145678ed108d903392a37%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637544366312413940%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=snHOfzEe6iHhoHxjSlXH1PzzihP9mwwEzanqnHfxSM8%3D&reserved=0> Megan Goedge Children’s Librarian Petoskey District Library From: Kristin Fontichiaro <font@umich.edu> Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 3:32 PM To: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: [Michlib-l] Discomfort with Wednesday post about "neutrality" Hello, all -- There was a post on this earlier this week in which a librarian asked for advice on policies that would help her library navigate the pushback some of her DEI posts are receiving. Their query received one response. Admitting that they had not viewed the content in question, the respondent argued that the profession should be more careful about betraying neutrality and that we would do well to walk more in the shoes of our (assumed majority white) patrons and plan posts accordingly. I have been really uncomfortable about that for the past few days and have been waiting for someone to pipe up and voice concern about it. And now I am more uncomfortable that no one has, so I guess it's time for me to. Our profession's Code of Ethics advocates for equitable access and service for all<http://www.ala.org/united/sites/ala.org.united/files/content/trustees/orgtools/policies/ALA-code-of-ethics.pdf> and that we leave our personal perspectives at the door when we show up to work to live out the library's mission. The Code of Ethics never actually says, "Be neutral," or, "Equity matters, but if it ruffles a few feathers, just let it go." I am haunted by Elie Wiesel's articulation that, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim<https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1986/wiesel/26054-elie-wiesel-acceptance-speech-1986/>." When we ask whose shoes we should be walking in, we might do better to ask who is most in need of empathy and whose perspectives are most underrrepresented. I'm no DEI expert. I know how far I have to go in my own journey and that I have said and done dumb or hurtful things when I didn't know better. But if we are going to say we're proud to serve all, we have to acknowledge that this should not be a self-congratulatory pat on the back but a call to action. I don't believe that shame is an effective learning tool<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-culture.html>, and I am NOT writing this to provoke angry jabs at the respondent. We may share a goal of equity but have different paths of getting there. Libraries outside of metropolitan areas serve very different communities from those in more diverse areas, and our action steps toward equity may look different or move at different rhythms or speeds ... as long as we keep moving forward. I hope this message will help us all have a chance to take a deep breath, step back from the weird and stressful times we are living in, and ask, "How can our library welcome a wider swath of the population?" Thanks for reading and for everything you do to help those who need it most. Kristin -- Kristin Fontichiaro University of Michigan School of Information 4427 North Quad 105 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285 734.647.3593 Blog<http://fontichiaro.com/activelearning> | Book an Appointment (school year only) <https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUFHX1E5cXRtYUVQfGRlZmF1bHR8YmY3NDdlYzA4ZDM2MjFmMzAzMDM2OTA3NGM3NjliMzQ> Projects: Michigan Makers<http://michiganmakers.si.umich.edu> | Making in Michigan Libraries<http://makinglibraries.si.umich.edu> Data Literacy in High School<http://dataliteracy.si.umich.edu> | Public Library Management MOOC<http://ai.umich.edu/portfolio/public-library-management/>
participants (8)
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bellairelibrary＠torchlake.com -
Holly Kirsten -
Jocelyn Levin -
Katherine Mason -
Kristin Fontichiaro -
Kucera, Ann F -
Mary Harrison -
Megan Goedge