ACRL Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Home

Learn more about ACRL's core commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in this video featuring 2019-20 ACRL President Karen Munro.

ACRL 2023 Conference: Pittsburgh, PA, March 15–18, 2023

Call for Proposals Equity Statement

In the spirit of equity, ACRL seeks to provide opportunity to underrepresented groups that have been historically marginalized or excluded due to race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, economic background, age, and/or disability. We also seek participants from all types of libraries, positions, and experiences, including nonlibrary faculty, staff, and administrators. Individuals are encouraged to address how their proposed sessions and their personal and professional experiences will advance these goals, promote equity and inclusion, and broaden the perspectives of conference attendees.

Childcare & Dependent Reimbursement

ACRL offers reimbursement up to a pre-determined maximum for childcare and/or dependent expenses that are incurred as a direct result of attendance at ACRL 2023 and are not part of an attendee's regular childcare and/or dependent care plan. Reimbursement requests must be completed and received by April 14, 2023. For more information and to receive a reimbursement form, please email acrl@ala.org. 

Convention Center

Please see the Convention Center Accessibility Information for information on accessible parking, elevators, wheelchair availability, and facility maps.

Experience and Inclusion Committee

The ACRL 2021 Innovations Committee was re-imagined for ACRL 2023 to the Experience and Inclusion Committee with an updated charge more focused on inclusivity and accessible design strategies. The updated charge for the committee includes recommending innovations and inclusive practices to enhance the experience of attending the in-person event for all participants. These innovations may include social, networking, and inclusion aspects of the conference, along with health, wellness, and/or accessibility efforts that ACRL may contract for through professional consultants and providers.

Participation Limits

In order to allow as many individuals as possible to participate as conference presenters, an individual may submit (or be included as a co-presenter on) a maximum of two proposals for the spring deadline (June 3, 2022) and a maximum of two proposals for the fall deadline (October 14, 2022). While this means a potential maximum of four total submissions, an individual can present a maximum of two times during the ACRL Conference. If an individual is accepted for more than two programs, the individual will need to confirm with ACRL which two programs they plan to present/be listed in the program in order to comply with the two-presentation limit.

Proposal Rubric

The ACRL 2023 proposal rubric was revised to provide expanded preference to proposals from underrepresented groups that have been historically marginalized or excluded due to race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, economic background, age, and/or ability.

Scholarship Criteria

The Scholarship Committee removed the requirement of an official recommendation to apply for scholarships, as well as preference for ACRL/ALA members in awarding scholarships, expanded eligibility with a new category of Career Librarian 16+ years, and expanded the preference given to applications from underrepresented groups that have been historically marginalized or excluded due to race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, economic background, age, and/or disability.

ACRL 2021 Conference: Virtual, April 13–16, 2021

ACRL 2021 Call for Participation Equity Statement
In support of ACRL’s Core Commitment, the ACRL 2021 Coordinating Committee developed an Equity Statement that is included in the ACRL 2021 Call for Participation. The committee strives to develop an inclusive conference program that reflects the library community’s diverse range of race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, economic background, age, and/or ability. In addition, to allow as many individuals as possible to participate as conference presenters, the committee established presentation limits for the first time at an ACRL Conference. An individual can present a maximum of two times at ACRL 2021, regardless of session format or presenter role.

ACRL 2021 Land Acknowledgement
The Association of College & Research Libraries, a Division of the American Library Association acknowledges the land and water it originally intended the conference to gather on; there are 29 tribal nations in Washington. The ancestral homelands of those American Indian tribes that have inhabited this place for centuries, include the Chehalis, Colville, Cowlitz, Hoh, Jamestown S’Klallam, Kalispel, Lower Elwha Klallam, Lummi, Makah, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Nooksack, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Puyallup, Quileute, Quinault, Samish, Sauk-Suiattle, Shoalwater Bay, Skokomish, Snoqualmie, Spokane, Squaxin Island, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, Swinomish, Tulalip, Upper Skagit, and Yakama. In addition, the ACRL recognizes the Duwamish, Wanapum, and Chinook; tribes working for recognition by the U.S. federal government and have a long history in present-day Washington. Full statement on the ACRL Conference website. 

Progressive Stacking Questions
ACRL encourages the use of an optional strategy called progressive stacking when asking questions. This is a technique intended to give marginalized voices a chance to speak, particularly in an environment where there is a dominant group. Learn more about progressive stacking in the General Information section of the conference community.

ACRL Core Commitment and Site Selection & Policies
In Spring 2020, the ACRL Board approved updates to the ACRL Guide to Policies and Procedures for Section 10.8: Site Selection Criteria and Procedures and Section 11.1.10: Site Selection to reflect ACRL's Core Commitment to EDI. Updates included that, "ACRL is committed to making all professional development programs, to the best of their ability, inclusive and accessible to all members. This includes programming, educational components, and accessibility. ACRL is dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive communities in the Association and in academic and research libraries. These commitments permeate the work of the Association, cutting across all ACRL sections, committees, interest and discussion groups, communities of practice, as well as our professional development programming and site selection."

Presenter Training

ACRL 2021 Conference presenters were required to view two webinars (Implicit Bias and Uncovering Privilege and Addressing Microaggressions), which were developed by the American Library Association (ALA) Office of Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS) before preparing for their presentation. The purpose of these webinars was to provide context and understanding of the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and help ACRL 2021 presenters understand how to incorporate these concepts into their presentations.

RBMS Conference 2023

ACCESSIBILITY
Guidelines for All Presenters

• Ensure presentation slides are accessible by using sans serif fonts (Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, etc) and font size no less than 24 points; creating a unique title for each slide; using contrasting colors; and including alternative text for all images and graphs.
• Run Microsoft Office’s Accessibility Checker on slides and handout documents.
• If you are presenting a poster, please see these Tips for Accessible Posters to help create content that is accessible onsite and online.
• Submit resources in original file format where possible (Ex: PPT instead of reformatting into a PDF). 
• Avoid unnecessary images, animations, and flashing or disorganized text.
• Always use microphones to ensure audience members can hear the content. Virtual presenters should use a headset/earbuds with a microphone if possible.
• Repeat questions asked in Zoom chat or by in-person attendees if not asked into a microphone.
• Describe your slides and any actions you take, including detailing any figures, verbally explaining any interactive content like polls, and reading the words on the slides.
• If there are multiple presenters, have each speaker reintroduce themselves when it is their turn to talk to help attendees follow along.
• Use plain language and avoid jargon, colloquialism, and read out acronyms where possible.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Recommendations for All Presenters

• Use the conference land acknowledgement or follow the guide on that page to create one for your location.
• Include your positionality if relevant to the topic you are presenting.
• Be respectful of the pronouns listed on attendees’ name tags, and consider including your own when introducing yourself.
• Consider using (or asking the moderator to use) progressive stacking to prioritize marginalized voices in chat or Q&A.
• Consider including a content warning at the start of your presentation if it discusses topics that may be sensitive or distressing for attendees, such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexual harassment, or abuse.
• Practice Inclusive Citation to highlight underrepresented voices in LIS. 
• Additional resources are available from ALA’s Office of Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, including:
  • Implicit Bias (39 min)
  • Uncovering Privilege and Addressing Microaggressions (44 min)

2021 ACRL Legislative Agenda

ACRL is active in advocating for policy and legislation through the ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office in DC, as well as through coalition work with groups such as the Open Access Working Group and the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA). Each year, the ACRL Government Relations Committee develops, with input from ACRL member leaders and the ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, the ACRL Legislative Agenda, which provides information meant to guide legislative advocacy at the national level—specifically focusing on policy issues of concern to academic and research librarians. The full 2021 ACRL Legislative Agenda can be found on the ACRL website and excerpts pertaining to the ACRL Core Commitment to EDI are included below: 

Legislative Agenda Item 6. Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (Aim Higher Act)

Background

The Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (Aim Higher Act) seeks to create a commission to develop voluntary guidelines for postsecondary electronic instruction materials and related technologies. Coursework materials are increasingly delivered in digital forms with e-books, PDF articles, and interactive web content delivered from the learning management systems, databases, and the open web. Whereas traditional tangible print items present obstacles to students with disabilities, digital content offers opportunities to expand accessibility for these students.

Impact on Academic Libraries

The development of federal guidelines will directly benefit academic libraries and their users because libraries create and provide access to expansive online materials that are considered "postsecondary electronic instruction materials." The campus library is a central point of access for students in higher education, and academic libraries also provide direct instruction to students and create many instructional materials in digital formats. Therefore, these guidelines will help ensure that library instruction materials and resources are also accessible to all. This not only increases the accessibility of instructional materials for users with disabilities, but it also benefits all users by allowing them to access the information they need in the ways they need to, and that works best for them. Finally, while there are existing standards that this act will collate into an annotated list, these new guidelines will help to situate accessibility best practices into the context of higher education instruction, which academic libraries play an integral part, and libraries could use them to increase and ensure the accessibility of our instruction services and resources. The ACRL University Accessibility Interest Group is available to provide additional input and support for this work.

ACRL’s position

ACRL has not stated a public position on this legislation.

Legislative Agenda Item 7. Federal Funding for Higher Education

Background

There are two prominent areas of need/advocacy associated with the push for broader federal funding for higher education. One of these areas of need has emerged as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on university budgets. Another relates to matters of equity, specifically in relation to the affordability of accessing higher education and the student debt crisis, and has also been amplified by the pandemic.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has noted that over 44 million Americans are directly impacted by student loan debt. Further, minority communities, and women of color in particular, are disproportionately represented within these figures... Under such circumstances, any positive movement on student debt reform or debt forgiveness will also further the cause of social equity in education.

ACRL’s position

As noted by ALA, equity, diversity, and inclusion are fundamental values of the association and its members. Therefore, equitable access to higher education must be seen as foundational to the work and advocacy of ACRL and its members. So that ACRL members might gain a clearer understanding of these issues and their impact on libraries, the Government Relations Committee recommends ACRL leadership develop a formal policy statement on these matters.

About the Diversity Alliance

To support EDI, ACRL is home to the ACRL Diversity Alliance. The Diversity Alliance’s goal is to increase the hiring pipeline of qualified and talented individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Since its conception in 2017, the ACRL Diversity Alliance has provided a network for member institutions that commit to at least a two-year diversity residency position at their libraries. There are currently almost 40 institutional members of the 2021 Diversity Alliance.

ACRL Diversity Alliance Committee

The ACRL Board of Directors approved the ACRL Diversity Alliance Committee at their ACRL Board Virtual Meeting (make-up for Annual) on August 1, 2022 and charged the committee to, "The Diversity Alliance Committee oversees the ACRL Diversity Alliance program and works closely with ACRL staff to regularly evaluate program goals and materials; cultivates community and development among residency coordinators; fosters engagement and support for residents in conjunction with the ACRL Residency Interest Group (RIG). Oversees and ensures accountability to Diversity Residents and for host institutions, their leaders, and their residency coordinators. Provides a reservoir of expertise and a knowledge base for diversity residents and institutions on relevant issues. Leverages a resident-centered frame in its work."

ACRL Diversity Alliance Task Force (completed)

The ACRL Board of Directors approved the creation of the original task force at its June 27, 2016 meeting. After the original task force completed its work, the ACRL Board of Directors approved, on April 8, 2020, a new Diversity Alliance Task Force, charge, tasks, composition and timeline. The new task force will seek to expand member benefits and consider how to include institutions that are committed to diverse hiring practices, but may not have the resources to create a residency. In summer 2022, the ACRL Board reviewed and approved the task force's recommendations, including a new program model, program goals, letter of commitment, as well as a new division-level committee to oversee the program. 

2021 President's Program

Hosted by ACRL President Jon E. Cawthorne, the 2021 ACRL President's Program, "Making Change: Organizing for Action While Caring for Each Other," will take place from 2:15 – 3:15 pm CST on Thursday, June 24, live during the conference. The program will feature Mariame Kaba, Founder and Director of Project NIA, and Dean Spade, Associate Professor at the Seattle University School of Law, with moderation by Emily Drabinski, Interim Chief Librarian at The Graduate Center, CUNY.

2020 President's Program

The 2020 ACRL President's Program, "Shifting the Center: Transforming Academic Libraries through Generous Accountability, " (YouTube recording) was hosted by ACRL President Karen Munro and featured keynote speaker McKensie Mack, anti-oppression consultant, researcher, facilitator, founder of #BoundaryWork, and former executive director at Art+Feminism, the session will explore how doing this work—holding ourselves, each other, and our institutions meaningfully accountable for inequity—can be an opportunity for generosity, humor, and care. The program was held Wednesday, June 10, 1:00 p.m. Central and was offered free of charge as part of ACRL Together Wherever Virtual Event. 

2019 President's Program

In 2019, ACRL President Lauren Pressley's President's Program Planning Committee focused their work on the topic of EDI, and created an online EDI discussion series blog which is now available on ACRL LibGuides. To continue the discussion, the ACRL President’s Program at the upcoming 2019 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, entitled Equity, Diversity, Inclusion... and Leadership: Where Do We Go From Here?, was held on Saturday, June 22, 2019. 

ACRL is working to create more welcoming and inclusive environments within its membership groups and member engagement. Since the approval of the Core Commitment, the objectives for all four goal areas, Value of Academic Libraries, Student Learning, Research and Scholarly Environment, and New Roles and Changing Landscapes, have been updated to include EDI. In spring 2019, the ACRL Diversity Committee was renamed the ACRL Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and a new charge was approved by the ACRL Board of Directors. With this new charge, the ACRL EDI Committee is poised to best support, oversee and coordinate forthcoming EDI initiatives. At the virtual 2021 ALA Annual Conference, the EDI Committee presented the on-demand session, "How We Are Marching: EDI Efforts Across ACRL." 

Appointments: Division-level

In 2019, a Board Working Group worked with the ACRL Appointments Committee to review and make the appointments process more inclusive. Appointments marketing was updated to include more welcoming language on the ACRL volunteer form, webpage, and social media. Members who volunteered for a committee or section appointment had the option to answer several demographics questions. ACRL compiled this data, and ACRL President-elect Karen Munro shared a summary report on the 2018-2019 division-level committee appointments process. During the  January 13, 2021 "Getting Involved in ACRL" online presentation, ACRL President Jon Cawthorne shared a summary of the 2019-2020 appointments cycle. In December 2021, ACRL President Julie Garrison published a summary report on the 2020-2021 division-level committee appointments process. ACRL will continue to include these optional demographics questions, so it can better understand and work to make the appointments process more inclusive.

Appointments: Editorial Boards

Prior to when the Core Commitment to EDI was adopted in November 2018, the ACRL Publications Coordinating Committee, in 2017, completed a demographics survey and published a report on the diversity of ACRL publications, editorial board demographics. Their findings and recommendations can be read in C&RL News. 

Committee Reports

In the 2020-2021 division-level report, division-level committees were asked to self-report EDI activities and accomplishments that took place for the past two program years (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021; and July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022). Those responses have been compiled and are included in the "ACRL Membership Group Activities" box in the "Get Involved" tab. 

Joint Board of Directors/Budget & Finance Committee EDI Working Group

In Fall 2020, the ACRL Board created an ACRL Joint Board of Directors/Budget and Finance Working Group to review with a financial lens how ACRL is supporting its Core Commitment, and what gaps might need to be addressed. The group's charge is to, "Further explore and study existing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) work across ACRL through a financial lens, and consider how to prioritize and fund social justice or antiracist work that will be beneficial to workforce development, training and professional development." The working group's final report is publicly available as documents #B, #B.1, #B.2, #B.3, #B.4, #B.5, #D in the 2022 ACRL Joint Board & Budget and Finance Committee Meeting packet.

Leadership Training

In September 2020, ACRL President Jon Cawthorne invited McKensie Mack, Founder and Managing Director of the McKensie Mack Group (MMG) and the Creator of #BoundaryWork, to lead a three-part Leadership Council series. ACRL leaders attended the three-part series, and participated in reflective pre-work to work towards the following goals. The ACRL Board reviewed feedback and ideas from the brainstorming sessions at its November 16, 2020 Fall Board Virtual Meeting.

• Goal 1: Help ACRL leaders develop a shared framework and language for discussions around anti-racism, accountability, and repair.
• Goal 2: Provide frameworks for institutional organizing that lays the groundwork for anti-racist policies, cultures, and analysis in varying scenarios of power and privilege.
• Goal 3: Develop individualized action plans for integrating frameworks for anti-racism and institutional organizing within participants’ respective institutions.

Short-term Priorities 

The ACRL Board of Directors met in June 2021 to identify short-term priorities for ACRL for the next one to two years. The need for priority setting was brought about by significant changes in higher education, academic libraries, and ALA that necessitated identifying and drafting short-term priorities. In July 2021, a Board Working Group took the outcomes from the priority setting discussions, and updated the annual report/work plan template, which now includes a section on short-term priorities (i.e., Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Communication and engagement; and Membership). Committee leaders were asked to include their short-term goals as part of the their 2021-2022 work plans.

ACRL/ALA/ARL/ASALH/SAA and the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions and Tuskegee University Library Deans/Directors Association, Inc.

ACRL, ALA, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), and the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions and Tuskegee University Library Deans/Directors Association, Inc., sponsored a virtual screening of the short film Hidden in Full View, the story of the lynching of Matthew Williams in Salisbury, Maryland, in 1931. The virtual screening took place on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. After the screening of Hidden in Full View, Charles L. Chavis, Jr., talked about the process of researching and writing The Silent Shore: The Lynching of Matthew Williams and the Politics of Racism in the Free State (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022) with an emphasis on the institutional and descriptive challenges of archival research on communities who have experienced racial harm.

National Associations of Librarians of Color (NALCo)

In January 2022, ACRL became an institutional member of the American Indian Library Association (AILA); Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA); Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA); Chinese American Library Association (CALA); REFORMA The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking.

Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Library Alliance

ACRL was a platinum sponsor of the Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Library Alliance's 9th Membership Meeting, held June 1-2, 2021. The ACRL Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee submitted a shortened version of its 2021 ALA Annual Conference on-demand program, "How We Are Marching: EDI Efforts Across ACRL."

 Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC)

As an in-kind contribution to the Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC) Fundraising & Sponsorship Committee for their November 2021 silent auction in support of the upcoming 2022 JCLC Conference, ACRL donated one face-to-face and one virtual registration for the ACRL 2023 Conference.

REFORMA

ACRL exhibited at REFORMA’s virtual National Conference VII, from Nov 4 - 7, 2021.

Since the Core Commitment was approved in November 2018, ACRL has awarded the following scholarships and memberships for underrepresented individuals and those working at underrepresented institutions.

• ACRL awarded $12,000 in Immersion scholarships to support the participation of six academic and research librarians from under-represented backgrounds or working at under-represented institutions to attend the 2019 Immersion Program.
• ACRL awarded $30,710 in ACRL 2019 Conference scholarships to support the participation of 40 academic librarians, support staff, and students from under-represented backgrounds or working at under-represented institutions.
• For the ACRL 2021 Conference, ACRL awarded $10,056 to support 34 recipients from under-represented backgrounds or working at institutions serving under-represented populations.
• ACRL awarded 13 RBMS 2019 Conference scholarships to support the participation of 13 academic librarians and students from under-represented backgrounds or working at under-represented institutions.
• For the virtual RBMS Conference in 2021, ACRL awarded 25 scholarships for a total of $4,315 for academic librarians and students from under-represented backgrounds or working at under-represented institutions.
• For RBMS 2022, ACRL is offering over $20,000 of scholarships to subsidize attendance at the conference. Preference will be given to applicants from underrepresented groups that have been historically marginalized or excluded due to race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, economic background, age, and/or ability.

ALA/ACRL Memberships for BIPOC Library Workers

During the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic; heightened social awareness of systemic racism, oppression, and institutional violence; and economic recession– all of which disproportionately impact communities of color– the ACRL Board of Directors approved, in November 2020, up to $10,800 to fund up to 50 memberships for ALA and ACRL (a value of over $200 per membership) for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) library workers, especially those who serve underrepresented populations. In January 2021, the ACRL Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee issued a call for applicants and awardees were notified in spring 2021. While 50 awardees were selected, only 47 claimed their award.

In November 2021, the ACRL Board of Directors approved up to $15,000 to fund 72 ALA and ACRL memberships for BIPOC library workers serving underrepresented groups. Funding will support memberships for year two of the first cohort (47 members), as well as funding for cohort two (25 members). The call for applicants for cohort two was open March 3, 2022 to May 1, 2022. 

On January 29, 2024, the ACRL Board of Directors approved the ACRL Budget & Finance Committee’s recommendation to use up to $9,440 to fund 40 ALA/ACRL memberships for academic and research library workers identifying as BIPOC and/or Disabled and serving underrepresented groups. The call for applicants is expected to launch in the coming weeks and will be posted on ACRL Insider. 

Spectrum Scholars & ACRL Mentor Program

ACRL is supporting Lyndon Batiste as its 2020-21 Spectrum Scholar. Lyndon Batiste is a student at the University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies. 

Also in 2020-21, the ACRL Dr. E.J. Josey Spectrum Scholar Mentor Program paired 33 ALA Spectrum Scholars interested in careers in academic librarianship with ACRL members to mentor them this year and has now paired a total of 246 Scholars with mentors since its establishment in 2003. This year the committee overseeing the program introduced several new tools to help the pairs develop their relationships, provide suggested discussion topics, and prompt them to communicate with each other regularly.

ACRL provided $7,000 to support one ALA Spectrum Scholar in FY19. At Midwinter 2019, the Board approved $7,000 disbursement to fund an additional Spectrum Scholar from the ACRL Friends Advancement Fund in FY20. ACRL's FY21 and FY22 budgets included funding for two Spectrum Scholars. 

What does it mean to integrate equity and social justice into our practice and assessment in libraries? Efforts to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion have been a priority of most institutions of higher education for many years now. The ACRL Value of Academic Libraries Committee is charged with helping academic librarians participate in work that is aligned with the mission, vision, and values of their institutions, as well as providing evidence of the value they provide to these institutions.

Through this spotlight series on practices of equity and social justice, the committee is asking librarians from various corners of librarianship to discuss what it means to integrate equity and social justice into our practice and assessment, as well as how they are working toward that goal.

ACRL is committed to supporting its Core Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and is looking to make all aspects of the organization more inclusive. In the coming year, ACRL will continue to offer EDI professional development opportunities for its leaders and members, work to update the 2012 Diversity Standards: Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries, and seek input and guidance from its Board of Directors, members and other key stakeholders to further review its processes and initiatives.

ACRL welcomes input from its members throughout the year. If you have feedback or would like to submit a request to the ACRL Board of Directors, please complete a Board action form. Upcoming Board meeting dates and Board document deadlines will be posted on ALA Connect. Comments and suggestions pertaining to EDI can also be sent to ACRL Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives Allison Payne at apayne@ala.org. 

ALA, ACRL issue joint statement in support of HBCUs after recent bomb threats (February 9, 2022)

The American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) stand in solidarity with the faculty, students, and staff of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and in particular we voice our support for those whose campuses have recently received bomb threats.

We especially wish to reach out to our library colleagues whose libraries anchor these important institutions. We lament that racism and the threat of violence continue to plague our colleagues in higher education, places where students, faculty, and workers come to learn and expand understanding. HBCUs do not exist as places apart. They belong to all of higher education and hatred directed towards these schools affects us all. ALA and its more than 49,000 members, including ACRL and its nearly 9,000 members, are united in their support of our fellow library workers at HBCUs

ACRL Supports APALA and ALA in Condemning Anti-Asian Hate Crimes (March 24, 2021)

ACRL stands in solidarity with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) and amplifies ALA’s Executive Board in recognizing and condemning anti-Asian hate crimes. ACRL affirms APALA’s March 3, 2021, statement which noted that the association “recognizes and strongly condemns the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes that have permeated our country over the past year. Our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities have been deeply impacted by attacks that have caused physical and psychological harm.”

ACRL Statement on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and the Print Collecting Imperative (October 7, 2020)
In keeping with its Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, ACRL recommends that North American research libraries continue to collect and preserve valuable print materials, even as the global COVID-19 crisis and associated financial circumstances may compel them to shift, at least temporarily, to digital formats where available. The association strongly urges libraries to take a deliberate, measured approach to any shift, temporary or permanent, toward an e-centric collection development model, an approach that balances fiscal exigencies with equity, diversity, and inclusion imperatives; takes full stock of the important research and teaching that cannot be accommodated through electronic resource collecting alone; and ensures support for continued print collecting in relevant areas. 

ACRL Supports ALA, BCALA, and APALA Statements Condemning Violence and Racism (June 2, 2020)

ACRL supports ALA in condemning violence and racism towards Black people and all people of color. ACRL endorses the statement of the Black Caucus of The American Library Association (BCALA), which condemns the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers within the Minneapolis Police Department. ACRL endorses the statement of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, which denounces the rise in racism and xenophobia against Asians and Asian/Pacific Americans in wake of the outbreak of COVID-19. 

ACRL Board Statement Against Racism, Harassment, and Discrimination in the Profession (January 31, 2019)

The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Board of Directors is aware that ALA Midwinter attendees have reported experiencing violations of the conference Code of Conduct, including incidents of racism, harassment, and discrimination. We laud the strength of those who have shared their experiences to draw needed attention to violations, and we abhor the systemic inequities in our profession that have normalized discriminatory, harassing, and racist behaviors.

In March 2021, ACRL joined 36 other organizations to sign the ACLS Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Violence. ACRL stands with ACLS and is, "angry and saddened by the recent increase in incidents of violence against Asians and people of Asian descent in the United States and around the world.” ACLS and the signatories “encourage educators, lawmakers, and community leaders to take this moment to listen closely to Asian and Asian-American voices and work with them in stemming this latest scourge of prejudice and violence.”

We commit to learning more and we encourage you to learn more about ways to support anti-violence and anti-hate efforts against the Asian community: 

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta
• AAPI Women Lead
• Stop AAPI Hate

Joint Statement on Legislative Efforts to Restrict Education about Racism in American History (June 16, 2021)
ACRL joined a number of organizations in co-signing an American Association of University Professors, the American Historical Association, the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and PEN America joint statement stating their “firm opposition” to legislation, introduced in at least 20 states, that would restrict the discussion of “divisive concepts” in public education institutions. The statement notes that "Americans of all ages deserve nothing less than a free and open exchange about history and the forces that shape our world today, an exchange that should take place inside the classroom as well as in the public realm generally. To ban the tools that enable those discussions is to deprive us all of the tools necessary for citizenship in the twenty-first century."

Statement Urging Retraction of Executive Order Prohibiting the Inclusion of “Divisive Concepts” in Employee Training Sessions (October 13, 2020)
ACRL joined 28 organizations in signing onto a statement from the American Historical Association urging the retraction of the recent executive order prohibiting the inclusion of “divisive concepts” in employee training sessions carried out within the federal government and by federal contractors and grantees. The statement argues that "Rather than banning the 'divisive concepts' from any educational venue-whether a classroom, a museum, a national park, or a workplace training session-historians seek to draw public attention to these concepts so that they can be discussed, debated, and ultimately challenged. Unity is not achieved by pushing division under the rug; it can be won even in the face of difference."

The ACRL Board of Directors endorsed on August 26, 2019 an American Historical Association (AHA) statement on Domestic Terrorism, Bigotry, and History. The statement notes that “As the largest organization of professional historians in the world, the AHA condemns the recent deployment of histories invented in the interest of bigotry, violence, and division. Many critics of white nationalism have admirably insisted that ‘this is not who we are.’ If the statements of white nationalists do not reflect who Americans are or want to be, they do compose an undeniable part of our collective past. Those aspects of the nation’s heritage should be exposed and overcome, rather than ignored or celebrated. Knowledge of history can help Americans achieve that goal.”

“ACRL wholly supports the American Historical Association’s moving and timely statement on nativism, violence, and history,” said ACRL President Karen Munro of Simon Fraser University. “The sentiments addressed in the statement reflect our Core Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s focus on acknowledging and addressing historical racial inequities.”

ACRL is one of more than 30 organizations to sign on in support of the AHA statement.

On May 27, 2020, the ACRL Board of Directors signed the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association's (APALA) statement, which "condemns (the) rise in xenophobia and racism due to the novel coronavirus outbreak." ACRL stands with APALA, and "rejects coronavirus-related hostility, anti-Asian stereotypes, and racism against Asians, Asian/Pacific Americans, or anyone perceived to be Asian." As of June 2020, over 800 individuals and organizations have signed the pledge. 

 On June 1, 2020, the ACRL Board of Directors endorsed the statement of the Black Caucus of The American Library Association (BCALA), which condemns the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers within the Minneapolis Police Department. The "Statement Condemning Increased Violence and Racism Towards Black Americans and People of Color" includes that "Since George Floyd is the latest in a long line of recent and historical violence against Black people in the United States, the BCALA takes this moment to encourage BCALA members to take proactive and preventative measures in the fight against racism."

In March 2022, ACRL signed a letter of support for an IMLS grant proposal that seeks to study Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) paraprofessionals in academic libraries.

In August 2019, the ACRL Board of Directors approved for ACRL to join eight organizations, institutions, and Native American communities to endorse the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. The Protocols were developed by nineteen Native American and non-Native American archivists, librarians, museum curators, historians, and anthropologists and published in 2007 with support from the American Library Association Office for Diversity, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, The Bay and Paul Foundations, the Northern Arizona University Institute for Native Americans, and Mary and P. David Seaman.

On July 24, 2018, ACRL joined the National Federation of the Blind and eight other library, research and advocacy organizations to express strong support of the passage of the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, S. 2559. The letter states that, “The implementing legislation embodies a consensus approach which balances the need to expand access to information for people who are blind around the world with the responsibility to properly safeguard the interests of rights holders.”

ACRL Diversity Alliance Program Goals

In order to unite academic libraries committed to racial equity in their hiring and retention practices of qualified and talented individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, the ACRL Diversity Alliance fosters the:

1. Increased adoption of inclusive employment and onboarding practices.
2. Development of inclusive healthy workplace cultures that support BIPOC colleagues.
3. Creation of paid positions with no required years of experience through early career diversity residencies and graduate student practicums.
4. Advancement of career path development of BIPOC early professionals.
5. Building of professional network connections for BIPOC individuals.
6. Retention of BIPOC librarians and archivists in the profession.
7. Commitment of library leaders to the advancement of inclusive leadership and access to the profession.

Benefits to Institutions

• Participation in an effort to improve the pipeline of diverse individuals who will compete for academic and research library jobs.
• Access to other Alliance institution's and coordinator's insights, job postings, and residency rotation schedules.
• Members-only listserv to discuss best practices, ask questions, and share resources. 
• Receive annually a digital badge to be placed on the institution’s website, recognizing its commitment to the Alliance’s principles.
• Attract a more diverse candidate pool, by including language in job postings that the institution is part of the Alliance.

ACRL Diversity Alliance Committee

Charge

The Diversity Alliance Committee oversees the ACRL Diversity Alliance program and works closely with ACRL staff to regularly evaluate program goals and materials; cultivates community and development among residency coordinators; fosters engagement and support for residents in conjunction with the ACRL Residency Interest Group (RIG). Oversees and ensures accountability to Diversity Residents and for host institutions, their leaders, and their residency coordinators. Provides a reservoir of expertise and a knowledge base for diversity residents and institutions on relevant issues. Leverages a resident-centered frame in its work.

Tasks

1. Regularly reviews program goals, objectives and materials (including the Letter of Commitment, toolkit).
2. Provides and recommends up-to-date content and resources for residency coordinators. Works with staff to distribute new information through ALA Connect and/or the ACRL Diversity Alliance LibGuide.
3. Assists staff in identifying current diversity residents to be shared with RIG for the purpose of outreach, sharing of resources, and to offer support
4. Develops a process and works with staff to implement program assessment.
5. Develops a process and works with staff to implement a plan of action for members who break their signed Letter of Commitment.
6. Provides a reservoir of expertise and a knowledge base for diversity residents and institutions on issues such as best practices, inclusive hiring, onboarding, retention, inclusive leadership, and inclusive meeting facilitation.
7. Develops and delivers professional development related to issues such as best practices, inclusive hiring, onboarding, retention, inclusive leadership, and inclusive meeting facilitation.
8. Liaises with the ACRL Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.

Origin

The ACRL Board of Directors approved the ACRL Diversity Alliance Committee at their ACRL Board Virtual Meeting (make-up for Annual) on August 1, 2022. 

Roster

Coming soon!

ACRL Diversity Alliance Task Force (completed)

Charge

Oversees the ACRL Diversity Alliance and completes the following tasks:

1. Develop best practices checklists for leaders and organizational readiness for top organizational leaders (Deans, Directors) who commit to join, support and create residency positions through the DA. This checklist can be agreed upon as leaders join the DA annually.
2. Explore program assessment to identify the goals of these residencies and if member institutions are meeting them?
3. Develop leadership pledge; along with the signed letter of commitment, each leader must sign leadership pledge.
4. Develop member resources, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and organizational culture checklist; Coordinators, training for human resource professionals and department heads; Institutions who create residencies should identify travel support for residents; Clearinghouse for information, schedules and best practices for Mentors/Coordinators; Link institutional efforts through Skill type and other virtual platforms.
5. Submit a report to the ACRL Board on the impact of residencies on the professional, and include stories of post-residency positions and surveys.
6. Explore if/how institutions unable to create residencies can be members of the DA through contributing to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in other ways and, if possible, articulate the criteria that would allow them to become members of the DA.

Roster

How Do I Join the ACRL Diversity Alliance?

Joining the ACRL Diversity Alliance requires just two things:

1. An annual commitment to the principles of the program as noted above, signed by the library director/dean. Any institutions whose library dean/director signs a letter committing to these principles are eligible for participation/membership in the ACRL Diversity Alliance.
2. A fee to support the program.
   1. $250 Foundational Level -or-
   2. $500 Bridge Levels

Download the letter of commitment here. 

Email signed letter of commitment to ACRL Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives Allison Payne at apayne@ala.org. Invoice will be sent upon receipt of the signed letter. 

ACRL Diversity Alliance badges will be delivered to participating institutions upon receipt of the letter of commitment and payment of annual fees.

Membership Fee

The fee for the Diversity Alliance is set by the ACRL Board of Directors as recommended by the Diversity Alliance Task Force. The fee is $500, paid annually by calendar year, and partially offsets administrative costs for the program. The ACRL Diversity Alliance Program requires annual commitments by individual institutions and consortial pricing is not available.