Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Work

GOALS

Expanding on the Library's Commitment to Anti-Racism and action plan, these goals were developed to support our efforts to achieve sustained impact on our practices in regard to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access:

1. Incorporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) goals intentionally into the library's administrative practices.
2. Provide and support staff learning and engagement opportunities to increase awareness of the ways in which structural racism permeates all aspects of our society and, in regard to libraries, longstanding professional practices.
3. Incorporate best practices for diversity recruiting into library position searches and work to create an inclusive climate for all staff.
4. Increase accessibility in all aspects of the library's work.
5. Ensure that the library's policies and services are equitable.
6. Increase the representation of marginalized communities and BIPOC voices among the library's collections.
7. Identify, acknowledge, and address intentional and unintentional biases that permeate the ways we describe our holdings.
8. Deepen the integration of inclusive teaching strategies into the library's educational program to create a sense of belonging for all students.
9. Conceptualize and deliver public programs, exhibits, and outreach utilizing an antiracist lens while seeking opportunities for actions that intersect with the ongoing work of the library.
10. Work towards removing barriers to inclusion and access and ensuring the libraries are welcoming and safe for all members of the Bowdoin community.

DEIA Working Group

The DEIA Working Group supports and advances the Library’s DEIA efforts broadly, and anti-racism initiatives specifically, in regards to library services, collections, spaces, digital and physical resources, and staffing. The DEIA WG reports to the Library Leadership Team and is comprised of six members, including two co-chairs, who are appointed and should be representative of the library's staff and its work.

If you have ideas for the library's DEIA work, please feel free to get in touch by emailing the current co-chairs at LibraryDEIA@bowdoin.edu.

Projects and Initiatives

DEIA Resource Guide

This guide was created and is actively updated by the Bowdoin College Library's DEIA Working Group in collaboration with the Library staff to serve as a resource for personal and professional growth and development. If you have feedback related to this guide or would like to share a resource, please email: LibraryDEIA@bowdoin.edu.