Transform your library culture and services in this online workshop and guest speaker program September 28, October 4, and 11 with live sessions at 2 pm Eastern Time.

Course Overview

Through this course, you’ll learn about the concrete actions library leaders are taking to help cultivate an antiracist, inclusive library culture—from examining the impacts of implicit bias, to evaluating spaces, programs, and services and examining policies and practices through an antiracist lens—to ensure that there is a shared value of antiracism at the library.

Practical coursework, along with targeted support, will take you from theory to application, providing tools and resources that will help you to transform your library culture and services by examining them through an equity lens. 

Over 3+ weeks, you’ll complete engaging, interactive assignments that will help you to build both your individual and collective capacity in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion.  Your work in the interactive online classroom is supported by personal coaching from an expert in the field via an asynchronous workshop.  In addition, you’ll have access to our foundational bonus content—rich supporting materials you can explore at your own pace, including a series of webinars from Library Journal and School Library Journal contributors, readings, activities, and videos.

 

Speakers

Andrea Blackman (she, her) Chief Equity and Diversity Officer, City of Nashville

Tasneem Ansariyah Grace (she, her) Vice President, Mosaic Changemakers (TN)

Stephen Jackson (he, him) Director of Equity and Antiracism, Oak Park Public Library

Tarida Anantachai, (she, her) Director, Inclusion & Talent Management, North Carolina State University Libraries

 

Check out the program tab for the full speaker roster.

 

The transformational speaker program has given thousands of librarians the tools and vision for meaningful change. The live sessions run on Wednesday, September 28, and Tuesdays, October 4 and 11, from 2:00-4:30 pm ET (recorded for on-demand viewing) with an ongoing facilitator-led workshop over 3 weeks. Don’t miss this opportunity!

 

Learning Outcomes

When you sign up early, you’ll have immediate access to our Early Access On Demand Resources—a series of webinars from Library Journal and School Library Journal contributors along with rich, supporting materials in the form of readings, activities, and videos—to explore at your own pace.

When you attend this interactive online course, you’ll gain the tools to:  

• Evaluate your current EDI practices to engage in more authentic self-reflection and self-assessment,

• Recognize key diversity and cultural literacy concepts such as white privilege, unconscious bias, cultural appropriation, and intersectionality,

• Assess current library programs, staffing, hiring, equity statements, and more through a culturally competent, antiracist lens,

• Recognize problematic stereotypes, tropes, acts of implicit/explicit bias, and microaggressions,

• Engage in an  equity-focused project that you initiate, define, and work on in a group workshop with asynchronous, written feedback from a group facilitator

Who should take this course

Any educator or librarian wanting to help contribute to an antiracist culture in their institution.

Live sessions are also available on demand 

Can’t make a live session? All guest speaker sessions are recorded and available on demand following the initial broadcast. Asynchronous workshops allow you to complete assignments and receive feedback from experts.

Certificate of completion provided 

15 professional development credits are available

For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co

 

This is a companion course to How to Build Diverse Collections, which we recommend taking before or after How to Build an Antiracist Library Culture.  In this course, we will examine the many facets of creating an antiracist culture at the library, including programming, hiring, and more, and in How to Build Diverse Collections, we will take a specific and granular look at how to audit your collections, ordering, and readers advisory service.
 

 

 

Group Rates

Have a team attend and increase your impact!

Discounted registration fees are available for groups of 3 or more. When you register your team for our online courses, they will be placed in the same small workshop group, where discussions and project-based assignments receive feedback from an experienced librarian.

Send us a request for a quote.

If your group prefers to work separately, just let us know.

 

2022 Advisory Committee

We thank the following course advisors who have helped shape the program and course work.

 

 

	Michelle Khưu, Experiential Learning Specialist at Skokie Public Library		Christina Fuller-Gregory, Assistant Director of Libraries, South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, Greenville
	Klem-Marí Cajigas, Family Literacy Coordinator, Bringing Books to Life, Nashville Public Library		Sandra Farag, Head of Youth Services at Kalamazoo Public Library
	Nikhat Ghouse, Associate Librarian for the Social Sciences and Coordinator of the Diversity Alliance Residency Program, American University (DC) and Organization Development Consultant and Facilitator, Jehan Consulting

 

By registering for this event you confirm that you have read and agree to our Code of Conduct.

For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co.

Week 1: Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Session 1 | 2:00-2:45 pm ET

Critical Conversations in the Library

Reimagining our libraries as antiracist spaces requires us to initiate and navigate high stakes conversations on complex issues such as race, identity, white supremacy, social consciousness, gender and more. In this session, you’ll hear two expert conversation-makers share their intention and techniques for cultivating dialogue that can redefine and revolutionize the culture of your library.

Speakers:

Workshop Q&A | 2:45-3:00 pm ET

An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course

Session 2 | 3:00-4:00 pm ET

Handling Current Challenges in Information Library Science

In this session, we’ll discuss some of the most pressing equity, diversity, and inclusion issues facing librarians around the country right now, such as Critical Race Theory, book bans, trans rights, and more. You’ll hear tips for how to navigate challenges with library colleagues, community members, and stakeholders. We’ll also discuss how to support yourself and promote your psychological safety while you provide support and safety for your community.

Part One: Current Challenges and How to Address Them

Speaker:

Part Two: Caring for Yourself and Your Safety in the Workplace

Speaker:

Week 2: Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Session 1 | 2:00-2:45 pm ET

Building Antiracist Programming Using Local History

Learn how connecting to your community’s past and confronting its racist history can open up rich conversations about the future in this inspiring session. Angel Jewel Tucker, Youth Services Manager at the Johnson County Library will share how Race Project KC has opened up awareness of the systemic injustices of redlining, racially restrictive covenants, and more among the young people of Kansas City. This session provides a deep dive into how librarians can use their institutions’ historical collections and resources to help patrons, students, and community members explore, critically analyze, and combat systemic racism.

Speaker:

Workshop Q&A | 2:45-3:00 pm ET

An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course

Session 2 | 3:00-3:45 pm ET

Building Equity and Diversity Momentum at Your Library

In this session, we’ll discuss how to build momentum for social justice work at your library by connecting with fellow staff and colleagues and amplifying each other’s voices. We’ll discuss how to organize your efforts and develop internal library initiatives such as discussion groups, library audits, and more, to create true and sustained investments in equity. 
 
Speakers:

Week 3: Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Session 1 | 2:00-2:45 pm ET

Antibias/Antiracist Hiring Practices and Recruitment

The work of creating more antiracist library organizations also involves reframing our approach to staff hiring and development. In this session, you’ll learn some approaches for implementing more equitable and antibiased recruiting and hiring practices, and how to further align such efforts towards building more inclusive workplaces, developing talent management strategies, and fostering staff retention.

Speaker:

Workshop Q&A | 2:45-3:00 pm ET

An introduction to this week’s assignment and an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course

Session 2 | 3:00-3:45 pm ET

Your Sphere of Influence: Doing the Work From Where You Are

In this closing session of our course, you’ll learn how to make valuable change from within your sphere of influence, regardless of your institutional support system or lack thereof. You’ll learn about what you can do as an individual to tap into your power to combat racism and promote antiracism in your library and community. You’ll also learn practical ways to navigate organizational politics and power structures, and come away with ideas for where to go next, now that you have the tools you need to dig deeper into cultivating actively antiracist practices at your library.

Speaker:

For support with online courses, please contact libraryjournal@edmaker.co

Online Course Preview

A preview of how we build your library skills and bring inspiration to your projects with our online learning experience.

Course Format

One-Week Timeline (Course Runs 3+ Weeks)

DAYS 1-2 On Demand	DAY 3 2.5 hours	DAYS 4-7 1-2 hours (optional)
PRE-LIVE SESSION - Resources - Discussions - Bonus Content	LIVE SESSIONS - Guest speakers via webcast - Q&A via chat - Recordings available on demand	ASYNCHRONOUS WORKSHOP - Project-based homework, applied to your job - Personalized feedback from a facilitator - Group discussion in an asynchronous workshop setting via discussion forum	3-WEEK WORKSHOP - Facilitator-led feedback WEEK 1 Set your goals and gather data WEEK 2 Identify gaps and priorities WEEK 3 Begin your audit

Inspiring Live Guest Speakers + Facilitated Group Workshop for Project-Based Learning

Live session with Andrea Blackman and Tasneem Ansariyah Grace	Live Guest Speakers Each Week Engage with presenters via live video stream, visual presentations, and chats Map out your own equity initiatives with guidance from an expert advisor Leave with refined, robust strategies designed to make a lasting impact on your community Workshop tangible antiracist approaches to your work with input from peer groups

Online Course Features

Recordings of guest speakers

Recordings Available After The Live Session Real-time guest speakers and conversation via live video stream (with recordings available afterward) Instructor-led online course features personalized interaction over 3+ weeks

Facilitator-led workshop

Online Classroom Organizes All Materials Workshop assignments to help you make progress on your goals Individualized attention from course facilitators who work with you in a coaching environment in the workshop to help sort out challenges Ongoing group conversation via discussion forums

Early Access On Demand Resources

Early Access and Ongoing Resources To Support Learning Supporting resources (articles, videos, worksheets) in the online classroom to provide a foundation for your work Access all course content for six months after the course ends Bonus: Register early and get immediate access to archival video recordings from related courses and other bonus content