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ACRL Diversity Alliance: Home

Resources for ACRL Diversity Alliance residency coordinators.

About

Purpose

The ACRL Diversity Alliance program unites academic libraries committed to increasing the hiring pipeline of qualified and talented individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. By working together and thinking more broadly, ACRL Diversity Alliance institutions will help diversify and thereby enrich the profession.

The commitment of each library leader to create one or more residency positions will expand the opportunities available to individuals from professionally underrepresented groups to gain the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to thrive in an academic context. Library leaders participating in the ACRL Diversity Alliance are committed to opening doors, sharing their networks, and preparing residents for success in scholarship, professional service, and leadership. Residents and library leaders will each have access to a network so that they can share ideas, resources, and best practices.

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.

 

Founding Members

The Founding Members of the Diversity Alliance are American University, University of Iowa, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University.

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.

Roster

Mr. Thomas Dickens

(Chair, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)

Mrs. Mallary Rawls

(Vice-Chair, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)

Ms. Annie Bélanger

(ACRL NR1 Small Library Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)

Jessica Dai

(ACRL R1 Diversity Alliance Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)

Ms. Karen R. Diaz

(ACRL R1 Diversity Alliance Member, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026)

Elise Ferer

(ACRL NR1 Medium or Large Library Diversity Alliance Member, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026)

Cristalan 'tal' Ness

(ACRL Residency Interest Group Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)

Hannah Lee Park

(ACRL NR1 Small Library Member, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026)

Elia Trucks

(ACRL NR1 Diversity Alliance Member, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026)

Ms. Marcela Yael Isuster

(Ex-Officio Member, July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025)

Tarida Anantachai

(Board Liaison, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)

Ms. Allison Payne

(Staff Liaison, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025)

Previous Task Forces

Name: ACRL Diversity Alliance Task Force

Charge & Tasks: 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.

Composition:

  • Chair
  • Representative from ACRL Diversity Committee
  • Representative from ACRL Residency Interest Group
  • Board Liaison
  • Staff Liaison
  • Additional member appointments at the discretion of the Vice-President/President-Elect

Timeline:

  • Task force terms: July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2022
  • Interim reports submitted: January 2021, January 2022 (postponed to Spring 2022)
  • Final report (task 5): June 2022 
Task Force Reports