Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Justice

UConn Library staff work through a diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and justice (DEIAJ) lens. For us, that means an intentional and proactive integration of DEIAJ principles in our daily work and decision making to ensure our continued growth in creating equitable access and inclusivity within library services, resources, and spaces.

Building Diverse Collections

We view collections as reflections of the communities we serve and the systems within which we work, striving to subvert systems of oppression. Based on our guiding principles, we approach all aspects of our collection management policies, budgets, and practices iteratively, critically, holistically, and flexibly. For example, cataloging is done critically by adding content that improve the discoverability of resources by using terminology acknowledged and supported by the minority communities that have not traditionally been represented in Library of Congress Subject Headings. Our cataloging is also reparative, adding and changing subject headings to currently accepted terminology. We regularly feature and celebrate diverse collections throughout the year as curated book displays, presentations, and activities that are open to all and are designed to inspire curiosity and conversation.

Communication Strategies

Our communication and marketing strategies advocate for and enable organization wide DEIAJ initiatives. We focus on ensuring diverse groups are represented in imagery, photography, and language and when appropriate, utilize fonts and images created by underrepresented groups to highlight diverse talents. Accessibility in digital products is a priority, including our web environment which adheres to UConn and WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards.

Spaces 

We continuously assess and implement upgrades to all our library spaces, with the goal to have every library user feel welcome and comfortable. We place a high value on creating this experience for populations with diverse needs. All our libraries are accessible, and service animals are allowed. Recent improvements in Homer Babbidge Library include accessible individual study spaces, automatic doors on floors 2, 3, and 4, and wellness and meditation spaces.

Staff Engagement and Support

Staff are provided with time to engage in DEIAJ learning and are encouraged to contribute to library and university-wide diversity-related initiatives. This includes job-specific professional development and memberships, leading or participating in DEIAJ working groups and committees, and DEIAJ research. In our search processes, we proactively create a user-neutral experience for candidates which includes rotating search committees and staff completion of search compliance and anti-bias training. We prioritize closed captioning, using audio and visual cues in our virtual environments, and sharing pronouns.

UConn Library Action Committee for Inclusion

The UConn Library Action Committee for Inclusion (ULACI) is a permanent committee that establishes and operationalizes measures that directly realize the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and justice for UConn Library staff and the populations we serve. A dedicated annual budget supports our commitment to making real and actual change, including establishing new or improved practices and procedures, creating policy, and developing project-based initiatives in support of DEIAJ work and education.

Following are highlights that represent library-sponsored activities and resources:

• The UConn Health Library recently utilized a Collections Equity Award from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to purchase 73 titles featuring BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) authors and characters for their Leisure Collection.
• Interlibrary Services provides book scanning services for students registered with the Center for Students with Disabilities.
• Exposing resources in the collection, both physical and digital, through exhibitions and guides is in constant rotation. A few recent examples include
  • Native and Indigenous Heritage Month - Guide which provides links to physical and digital resources related to Native and Indigenous people.
  • Latinx Heritage Month - Collection of ebooks related to Latinx Heritage Month.
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Healthcare - Guide containing digital resources related to anti-racism, accessibility, LGBTQ+, and gender topics in healthcare.
  • Holocaust Remembrance Day - Blog compiling a variety of resources on the Holocaust.

The University offers a wide array of diversity related resources, including:

• Accessibility at UConn, led by the Office of Institutional Equity, provides a central resource for information related to accessibility at UConn. 
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice @UConn serves as UConn's central hub for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) information and initiatives.
• Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) ensures the University’s commitment and responsibility to foster equitable and inclusive working and learning environments.
• Open Education at UConn, led by the Library, can be an effective strategy for meeting campus-wide equity goals. In addition to reducing the financial burden on students, utilizing free educational materials can level the academic playing field, narrow performance gaps, and reduce failure and withdrawal rates.
• UConn Reads, being led by the Library, encourages a campus-wide discussion around a book selected to spark multidisciplinary conversations, critical debates, and an array of supporting activities.