As we mourn the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and far too many others, the Georgetown University Library stands with demonstrators across the country and around the world in solidarity against racism, injustice, and intolerance. We stand with all members of our community affected by recent events and in support of those who have suffered a long history of racial inequality, racial violence, and police brutality. We bear witness to this critical moment in our nation’s history, recognizing that we must come together to end all forms of discrimination and the murder of Black and marginalized people in the United States.
We acknowledge that true change begins in our hearts, minds, and actions. The Georgetown University Library is committed to re-examining our policies, practices, and culture, and seeking ways in which we can make our library and our community more welcoming, diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Some specific steps we are taking include:
- As expert information professionals and caring stewards of the knowledge, collections, and resources entrusted to us, we are committed to building collections that reflect diversity in all its forms and promoting equal access to information. We are re-examining our collection development policies, with a goal of increasing resources produced by scholars from Black and marginalized communities that address the spectrum of University degree programs.
- We are empathetic in our design and provision of user services and spaces, while recognizing the need to develop new assessment measures that will help us discern a deeper understanding and commitment to meeting the diverse needs of all library users.
- To further self-education and action and to support the anti-racist movement, our librarians have created the Anti-Racism Toolkit, a compilation of books, courses, articles, and resources that can serve as a launch point for study and information for discussions about race and inclusion in our society. The toolkit is a living document that will continue to be updated.
- We have appointed a long-overdue Library Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, charged with promoting the education of staff about the persistence of racial inequality in America and examining our own practices and culture to ensure that our library is welcoming and inclusive to all. To meet their goals, Committee members will work in concert with the Executive Committee and other library departments and committees to confirm that recommended changes are reviewed, adopted, and embedded within the Library’s mission, planning, policies, and practices.
- We actively support research and scholarship related to Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation at Georgetown by making documents and other resources available both physically and digitally. We are participating in a Mellon-funded grant to establish a common framework for describing and accessing slavery-related archives held by institutions with historical ties to slavery. The project will provide scholars, students, alumni, and descendants with a new understanding of the lived reality of bondage at these institutions.
Beyond identifying and addressing the systemic racial injustices that exist within our structures and practices, the Georgetown University Library also is committed to embracing the broader goals of racial reconciliation and healing across our nation, and affirming in word and deed the transcendent dignity and worth of every human person. We recognize our responsibility, both as individuals and as an institution, to contributing to solutions to the intractable problems of racism in America.