Syracuse U. Makes Diversity a New Priority in School Library

Syracuse U. Makes Diversity a New Priority in School Library

Libraries in higher ed are on the social justice radar lately, so this comes as no surprise.

The College Fix reports:

Syracuse becomes latest college to make diversity a priority for its library

In an effort to increase its advocacy for the disabled and other minority groups on campus, Syracuse University has added an Inclusion and Accessibility Librarian to its staff.

The new librarian, Kate Deibel, will start in October and “help students and other constituents as they seek alternative, accessible formats for research and study,” according to a university webpage.

The New York-based institution is just the latest among a string of universities that have created positions within their library systems dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion.

University libraries have put an increasing emphasis on diversity and inclusion in recent years.

In 2014, the University of Minnesota provided a training session for its librarians on monitoring microaggressions. Meanwhile, the American Library Association reportedly awarded a grant to a pair of professors to research “racial microaggressions in libraries.”

Meanwhile, at the University of Michigan, the library has a diversity council and includes positions of Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, Accessibility Specialist and Multicultural Studies Librarian. Similarly, the University of Toledo has established a diversity committee, developed a diversity plan and tapped a diversity and inclusion officer for its libraries.

A job listing for the Syracuse position stated the newly created position seeks to “expand our role in sustaining a diverse and inclusive campus community” and the individual hired “will play a critical leadership role in fostering an inclusive culture and expanding the Libraries’ accessibility services.”

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