Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Analysis Powered by CollectionHQ  

collectionhq.com /diversity-analysis 

CONTENT

The CollectionHQ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Analysis Tool from Baker & Taylor was built with library staff in mind. The module is designed to get staff into the stacks, evaluating their collection and making evidence-based selection decisions. It assesses a library’s entire physical and electronic fiction and nonfiction holdings (excluding nonbook materials) and matches titles to all appropriate “industry-accepted DEI” topics (e.g., disabilities and neurodiversity; equity and social issues; mental and emotional health), as well as separate categories for five broad racial designations (Asian; Black; Hispanic and Latino; Indigenous; Middle Eastern and North African).

These topics were developed through extensive research and are assigned to titles based on one or more of the following qualifiers: They were reviewed by a Baker & Taylor Librarian, appeared on a Kirkus Collections selection list, or designated by BISAC categorization, as selected by Baker & Taylor. There are 12 topics into which a title can be sorted, and they are purposefully broad. The module is not meant to take the place of library staff performing diversity audits but rather is intended to provide foundational information upon which to build an audit and track the overall inclusivity of the collection.

USABILITY

The module can be found under the “evaluate” tab in CollectionHQ. The module’s default view is the collection as whole. However, each branch in a multi-branch system has its own set of data that can be evaluated. The dashboard can further be filtered to show only physical materials or only digital materials. Additionally, the physical collection can be examined by library branch.

 The dashboard is separated into two sections. The top section shows the percentage of the total collection that was assessed as diverse, equitable, and inclusive, as well as the total number of items assessed. Pie and bar charts that show percentages by fiction and nonfiction, intended audience (adult, juvenile, teen), and physical vs. digital materials can be used in presentations to library stakeholders.

The lower section of the dashboard shows the total number of items assessed as DEI titles, separated by DEI topic and divided by fiction and nonfiction and age group (adult fiction, juvenile fiction, etc.). Each number is hyperlinked (for instance, the number of books designated as Asian and teen nonfiction); when the number is clicked, a smaller window opens, with a breakdown by branch. Users can either export the DEI information for any branch into a .csv file or click on the name of the branch they want for a spreadsheet with book covers and metadata such as barcode, call number, and ISBN, as well as the DEI qualifier, the DEI topic(s), and the three appropriate BISACs.

A useful feature is the ability to exclude titles from a particular DEI topic—especially valuable when it comes to books that offer problematic or stereotypical depictions of a culture or identity. Library staff can do this by clicking the DEI topic for a title and sliding the toggle link from “include” to “exclude.” That title will no longer be included under that DEI topic for that library. Eventually, as the system matures, there will be a notes field where staff can record the reason a title is being excluded. As a CollectionHQ module, the data set will update monthly, reflecting any changes made using the exclude feature. Less useful is the module’s inability to group titles with the exact same ISBN, because each title has a different barcode.

PRICING

Costs vary based on the number of libraries in the system. The module is included at no additional cost to libraries that already have a CollectionHQ account. A one-time snapshot module is in development, with pricing based on the number of locations in the system.

VERDICT

The CollectionHQ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Analysis tool was created with the goal of empowering library staff to view their collections with a critical eye. The clean design and presentation allow staff to identify DEI gaps in the collection at a glance and make a plan to address them. Though not a diversity audit, it represents a way to begin one, as well as to create a robust collection policy aimed at increasing DEI representation in a collection.

Dontaná McPherson-Joseph is a Collection Management Librarian at Oak Park Public Library, IL.