Hopeful Visions, Practical Actions: Cultural Humility in Library Work

Contributors from the library field demonstrate how cultural humility positively impacts diversity, equity, and inclusion in this thoughtful collection, edited by Kostelecky (director, digital initiatives and scholarly communication, Univ. of New Mexico), Lori Townsend (learning services coordinator and engineering librarian, Univ. of New Mexico; coauthor, Transforming Information Literacy Instruction), and David A. Hurley (web and discovery librarian, Univ. of New Mexico). Using personal anecdotes and peer-reviewed articles, each contributor showcases the importance of cultural humility in interpersonal interactions and policies and procedures. While all the chapters are notable for the various ways the authors approach the subject, some stand out. Academic librarians Twanna Hodge and Xan Goodman use autoethnography to explain what cultural humility means to them and how they have utilized it in their careers. Public librarians Silvia Lin Hanick and Kelsey Keys practice the framework to evaluate children’s books for positive representation of cultures. Public library director Carrie Valdes recalls how her experience at the circulation desk inspired her to reevaluate that department’s policies once she became a director. A piece on self-humility by library workers Naghem Swade and Daniyom “Dani” Bekele epitomizes the purpose of cultural humility in the workplace and daily life. Each chapter includes reflection questions for readers.