Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Following the work of the DEI Implementation Working Group, the DEIA Advisory Committee is committed to embedding DEIA into all of our work as a library. This group will provide leadership, guidance, and feedback on embedding DEIA comprehensively and sustainably into the Campus Library’s infrastructure. This committee will support library units in developing DEIA-oriented goals that are sustainable, intentional, and feasible, and fit within unit scope, needs, and capacity. This group will begin work in Spring 2025. 

The Campus Library DEI Implementation Working Group advised on policies and initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our library services and spaces. The group's focus for 2023-2024 was to identify key areas for action from an Anti-Racism Audit (conducted in 2022 by an external consultant), and to recommend a process and structure for setting and achieving DEI-related goals. The DEI Implementation Working Group has concluded ongoing work as of July 2024.

The Campus Library supports staff participation in a variety of DEI professional development activities. This includes programs offered through our Campus partners and many external organizations.

Recent examples of activities in which our staff have been engaged:

• Washington State Library Anti-racist Policy and Practice Training for Library Workers (January-May 2024)
  • Series of four workshops facilitated by Sofia Leung and team, accompanied by 2-3 person Unlearning & Accountability Partners groups
• UW Bothell Constructive Dialogue Asynchronous Learning Modules (2023-present)
  • Self-paced online course developed by the UWB Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, accompanied by optional peer to peer discussions
• Washington Library Association Neurodivergence & Libraries Summit (2023)
  • Day-long workshop with programming around neurodivergence
• Neurodiversity on Campus: Workshop for Student Employees (2023)
  • Goals for the workshop are to help student employees on campus have a basic understanding of what neurodiversity is, common misconceptions around it, and how to create an inclusive environment for neurodivergent students on campus.
• Queer Theory Crash Course: Strategies to Resist Anti-LGBTQIA+ Policy (2023)
  • 2-hour course from Library Journal
• Cascadia College Foundations of E&I course for employees (2021-present)
  • Self-paced online course developed by the Cascadia College Office of Equity & Inclusion, accompanied by small study group discussions

• Cultures Connecting Workshop (2021)

  • Cultures Connecting facilitated an anti-racism workshop for Library Staff

Historical record of anti-racism initiatives at the Campus Library:

• UWB/CC Campus Library Commitments to Anti-Racism: Statement of Solidarity (2020-2022)
• Social Justice Team (2017-2022)
• Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice Initiatives (2012-2017)

If you have questions about DEIA work at the UWB/CC library, please reach out to uwbldeia@uw.edu.