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STS Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer Candidate: Andrea Baruzzi STEM Librarian and Head Cornell Science Library Swarthmore College Libraries she/her |
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Tell us more about yourself and how you became a librarian
Like so many of us, my path to librarianship wasn’t a direct one. The idea of librarianship intrigued me but it took working in several other fields to finally take the steps necessary to make it happen. While earning my MLIS from Drexel, I interned at University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, quickly realizing that academic librarianship was the best path for me. Not long after graduating I landed my first job as a science librarian and the rest is history. If I’m not busy reading, listening to music, or catching up on shows and movies, you’ll find me taking a walk in the woods looking for birds and other wildlife.
How long have you been involved in STS and what attracted you to the section?
I’ve been a member of STS for the past 14 years or so, though I took a bit of a break during the pandemic. I joined STS because I was new to science librarianship and it seemed like a great way to meet colleagues and build a support network. I was right, I’ve met a lot of great people and enjoyed participating in the section’s committees and programs. I was most active in the section from about 2010-2017 when I participated in the Information Literacy Standards Review Task Force, the Research Committee, and the Research Agenda Task Force.
How have you demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion?
First and foremost I try to demonstrate my commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion through my personal actions. This means taking a serious look at my own identity, bias, and privilege. It means recognizing when I (or my institution) become a barrier and working to improve myself and our systems. At my current institution, I was a member of our IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility) committee during its inaugural year. I participated in creating learning opportunities for library staff and helping to build a toolkit for improving our hiring practices. I’ve also co-facilitated the Swarthmore Libraries Internship for the past four years. The goal of the internship is to “introduce undergraduate students to the field of library and information science and to promote the American Library Association's fundamental values of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.”
What ideas do you have for making STS a safe space that is as welcoming as possible to members and guests?
I believe STS has made great strides in the past few years beginning to address EDI issues and developing ways to create a safe and welcoming space for all. Increasing membership (and participation) may help increase our diversity which would go a long way in helping all feel welcome and safe. If we haven’t already, perhaps adopting a community agreement, like the one from AORTA, would be useful as well.
What goals for the section would you have if elected to this position? How do you envision committees and members helping the section achieve those goals?
My main goal, and the charge of this position I believe, is to support and amplify the excellent work already being done by the STS EDI committee. Committees and members can help achieve this goal by doing what they can to incorporate the EDI goals into their work and by encouraging participation in the section.
