Anti-Racism Team Learning Session 3: Spaces
**Reminder: The reflection exercises are intended to get us all thinking about these issues before our session together, but we won't ask you to share anything from them.
Revisiting our Group Norms
- Review our collaboratively created list of group norms
- [participants brainstormed group norms during Session 1: Services and ranked their top five most important group norms in Session 2: Collections]
- Reflection Question
- Identify one of our group norms that doesn't come naturally to you and spend a few minutes reflecting on how you will work on upholding/living out that norm in our upcoming team learning session
Physical Spaces (7 pages, 9 pages, 1 webpage)
- “In Pursuit of Antiracist Social Justice: Denaturalizing Whiteness in the Academic Library” by Brook, Ellenwood, & Lazarro
- Read “The Racialized Space of the Academic Library” section p. 255-261
- Reflection questions:
- In what ways do our EPS library spaces reflect the “historic white legacy of PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions)?”
- What expectations and norms do we have about student use of our spaces?
- Duke University Case Study Report: “Duke University Libraries conducted discussion groups and Photovoice research with Black undergraduate and graduate students at Duke University in 2019. Assessment & User Experience staff also analyzed the 2,800 student responses to the Libraries’ 2020 student satisfaction survey in light of what we learned from the fall discussion groups. We sought to understand students’ experiences in the Libraries and on campus to improve how all students interact with library services, facilities, and materials. We did not limit our discussions to library services and spaces, as it was important to explore Black students’ experience and use of the Libraries holistically. [The report] is an overview of what library staff heard from discussion group participants and survey respondents.” - p.1
- Read Section 3 on p. 17-24
- Read Spaces Recommendations on p. 3
- Useful definitions:
- Photovoice: a research method where participants are asked to take photos and provide reflections on them to identify areas for change (Learn more here)
- Affinity Mapping (AKA Affinity Diagram): a brainstorming method that includes grouping concepts and creating a visual map that can aid discussion (Learn more here)
- Reflection question:
- Reflect on a time when you’ve felt at home in a library space. What were the factors that made you feel comfortable and welcomed? The Duke report mentions artwork, social dynamics, and other features, for example.
- Transforming Library Space and Policies (Module 23), by “Project Ready: Reimagining Equity and Access for Diverse Youth”
- Read through the module
- Complete the Respond section in which you reflect on each of the six features of effective library spaces
Virtual Spaces (3 minute video, 5+ pages)
- Updating LibGuides with an Anti-Racist Framework Video by Jaime Ding
- Watch section 16:24-19:13 min. on approaching LibGuides with an Anti-Racist Framework. Jaime discusses a LibGuide that is difficult to see on the slides, feel free to open it in another window:
- Aerospace Engineering Guide
- These two LibGuides are mentioned in a later section of the video that we are not assigning, but please look at the boxes that address bias:
- Jaime later describes how they developed a LibGuide assessment process
- Review their LibGuide rating rubric. Website qualities are listed in the columns for their assessment criteria categories. [We created a simplified single page version of this rubric for participants to review]
- Equity-Minded Inquiry Series: Web Scan by the Center for Urban Education
- Read pages 2-6 and scan the questions on the remaining pages
- Reflection question:
- The first principle in this Equity-Minded Practices for Websites list is to be welcoming. In what ways does the Aerospace Engineering LibGuide from CalPoly feel welcoming (or not) to you?
