Dear MLS members,
I want to take a moment to recognize the racial injustices many of our citizens are facing and the incredible work many are doing to bring awareness, change, and hope to their communities. MLS recognizes the important role libraries hold in their communities, and unequivocally denounces racism and bias of all kinds.
MLS is a library member organization, and it is our responsibility to help our members address these topics in their communities.
You can learn more about anti-racism on our Resource Guide.
Our colleague, Adrienne Butler, at the Oklahoma Dept of Libraries has created an Anti-Racism Reading and Resources list “in response to the current climate of social justice protests and racial equity. The list is divided by age group (children, middle school, teen, and librarian/teacher/adult). They are meant to assist in building your library collections. You will find several resources listed multiple times under different age groups.”
Colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries have also created a resource: Disrupting Whiteness in Libraries and Librarianship: A Reading List.
MLS has done some work with She Geeks Out, a local nonprofit based in Boston working to “empower woman in the workplace and educate, promote, and support diverse and inclusive companies and organizations”. They have provided several resource that we as a staff have found helpful:
Resources:
Anti-racism resources google doc
75 things white people can do for racial justice
UN resources on fighting racism
10 simple ways white people can step up to fight racism
How to be an anti-racist ally
Virtual opportunities:
6/17 – Webinar: Responding to Current Events
6/29 – Virtual Meetup: Beyond COVID-19: Reimagining Our Workplace
The MLS team continues to be here for you. Please reach out to us for support and to share resources you have found helpful.
Thanks,
Sarah Sogigian
