Within the library, we recognize our responsibility to build inclusive and diverse collections that reflect and validate the experiences of marginalized groups. Librarians can utilize resources such as the American Library Association's blog on Diversity, literacy, and outreach services. They can also consult reputable review journals, awards, and presses with a commitment to diversity.
The library recognizes that identities intersect and will seek out resources that reflect diverse perspectives within and across communities. We are committed to developing collections that validate and affirm the rich lived experiences of groups including but not limited to people of color and indigenous communities, LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities (including physical, developmental, learning, chronic illness, and mental health disabilities), religious minorities, immigrants and cultural diasporas, speakers of endangered or minority languages, rural communities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, neurodivergent communities, members of marginalized castes or tribes, stateless or internally displaced people, adoptees, people in prison or impacted by the criminal justice system, and more.
Through our collections, we aim to amplify historically excluded or suppressed voices, challenge dominant paradigms, and foster critical conversations about systems of power and oppression. At the same time, we honor the past by contextualizing and complementing historical materials, not erasing them. Our goal is the thoughtful inclusion of both past and present voices. This comprehensive approach will create representative collections that serve and reflect our entire community.