In June 2020, the Library published its Statement on Racial Justice. The statement is a living document that will evolve to reflect the Library's actions and responses to the social and racial environment across our library, communities, and nation. The Statement announced the appointment of a Library Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to promote the education of staff about the persistence of racial inequality in America and to examine our own practices and culture to ensure that our library is welcoming and inclusive to all.
The Committee's initial work was to assess the current climate within the Library through a staff survey. Responses to the survey reflected a desire among library staff for more instruction and resources on a number of DEI topics, including microaggressions, bias, inclusive language, and gender identity.
Current projects include:
- programming for library staff on DEI issues
- maintaining and updating the Anti-Racism Toolkit
- publishing DEI Tips in the library’s biweekly staff newsletter
- establishing liaisons with other departments and centers at Georgetown, including the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action and Human Resources
- creating and maintaining DEI resource pages
We welcome comments, suggestions, and collaborations from others in the Georgetown community committed to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Comments and suggestions may be sent to the DEI Committee via our contact form.