Skip to main content

Organizational Planning for DEIA: A 100 Level Course

Training Series

Scope

Embarking on an initiative to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) requires organizational willingness to consider how internal structures, practices, and hierarchies may inadvertently reinforce existing inequities. This training series offers registrants an opportunity to organize their thinking about the nature of these inequities when planning their DEIA initiatives. What needs to be considered? What efforts can help lower the barriers to inclusion? This series will look at DEIA initiatives in the context of the needs and concerns of a variety of stakeholder institutions and organizations (libraries, agencies, commercial companies, societies/associations, etc.) 

  • Representatives from small to mid-sized organizations who may be tasked with organizing and facilitating DEIA initiatives
  • Mid-level managers seeking to improve internal operations while paying attention to the needs of all staff
  • Those seeking to raise awareness within their organization regarding existing inequities in the workplace

A folder of preliminary resources is available to participants here.

Course Moderator

Dr. Antonia “Toni” Olivas (she/her/hers) is the Engagement and Inclusion Librarian at California State University San Marcos (the traditional territory and homelands of the Luiseño/Payómkawichum people). She earned her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona (2002) and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of California, San Diego (2014).  Toni has experience in both public and academic libraries and has been a librarian for nearly 20 years. She is also a veteran instructor who has over 20 years of experience in the classroom, but she thrives on being a life-long learner. Toni’s research interests and accomplishments are rooted in social justice (diversity, equity, inclusion, and access); including her 2017 book Choosing to Lead: The Motivational Factors of Underrepresented Minority Librarians in Higher Education and her most recent article publications on validation theory and critical race theory in libraries (with fellow social justice librarians Torie Quiñonez and Lalitha Nataraj). In addition to her full-time career as an academic librarian, Toni also teaches DEIA and management courses at various ALA accredited library schools, and she consults academic libraries across the country on DEIA topics and projects.

Guest Lecturers

Confirmed guest lecturers include: 

  • Dr. Kawanna Bright, Assistant Professor of Library Science, East Carolina University
  • Nikhat J. Ghouse, Associate Librarian for the Social Sciences to the College of Arts & Sciences & Coordinator of the Diversity Alliance Residency Program, American University
  • Twanna Hodge, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Librarian, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida 
  • Lauren Magnuson, Head of Collections, Delivery and Access, California State University - San Marcos
  • Alanna Aiko Moore, Subject Specialist, Sociology, Ethnic Studies, and Gender Studies, University of California - San Diego
  • Mark A. Puente, Associate Dean for Organizational Development, Inclusion and Diversity, Purdue University Libraries

Course Duration and Dates

Friday, September 17, 2021 - Friday, November 5, 2021. The series consists of eight (8) segments, one per week and each lasting approximately 60-90 minutes. Each segment is intended to cover a Friday lunch period (11:30am - 1:00pm, US. Eastern).

Guest lecturers will be featured in specific segments, as the course moderator deems appropriate. 

Each session will be recorded and links to that archived recording will be disseminated to course registrants within 2 business days of the close of the specific session. 

Event Sessions

Session 1, September 17 - Aspirations and Assessment

Speaker

Mark A. Puente

Associate Dean/Associate Professor of Organizational Development, Inclusion, and Diversity
Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) are spoken of as essential elements for organizational success. But, organizations must move beyond simply talking about these issues in order to help foster more equitable and inclusive environments for their stakeholders. This session will focus on the range of issues and drivers for prioritizing this work for organizations as well as address who bears responsibility for moving these efforts forward in a visible yet genuine manner. Using examples from libraries and other organizations and professional communities, registrants will be provided tools to help initiate and prioritize DEIA efforts in their organizations and will have the opportunity to brainstorm and discuss their desired outcomes.

Helpful Resources, Presentations, Literature, and More!

Shared by featured speaker Mark A. Puente:

Native-Land.ca

Shared by guest lecturer Twanna Hodge:

Choosing to Lead: The Motivational Factors of Underrepresented Minority Librarians in Higher Education - by Dr. Antonia Olivas

The Urgency of Intersectionality - TED Talk by Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw

The Miseducation of White Children - by Elie Mystal

What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack? - by Stephen Sawchuk

Knowledge Justice: Disrupting Library and Information Studies through Critical Race Theory - by Sofia Y. Leung and Jorge R. López-McKnight

Series on Critical Race Studies and Multiculturalism in LIS - by Rose L. Chou and Annie Pho

Statement Against White Appropriation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color’s Labor - Authored by Alexandria Brown, James Cheng, Isabel Espinal, Brittany Paloma Fiedler, Joyce Gabiola, Sofia Leung. Nisha Mody, Alanna Aiko Moore, Teresa Y. Neely, Peace Ossom-Williamson

“We Are All for Diversity, but . . .”: How Faculty Hiring Committees Reproduce Whiteness and Practical Suggestions for How They Can Change - by Özlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo

Challenging the ‘Good Fit’ Narrative: Creating Inclusive Recruitment Practices in Academic Libraries - by Sojourna J. Cunningham, Samantha Guss, and Jennifer Stout 

WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE CHARACTERISTICS

Statements From Libraries and Library Organizations Re: Racism, Black Lives Matter, and Increased Violence - Filed by Gary Price on Infodocket

Advancing Strategy through Staffing: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Library Leadership Roles - by Kara Bledsoe and Jennifer K. Frederick

One is the Loneliest Number: DEI Perspective - October 14th, 2021 Webinar

ALA Spectrum Scholarship Program

Why Did I Leave the Profession? A DEI Perspective - Co Moderated by Twanna Hodge

Archive of Webinars & Materials: Association of Southeastern Resdearch Libaries (ASERL)

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) SCORECARD FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION
ORGANIZATIONS
 

Starting with I: Combating Anti-Blackness in Libraries - Authored by Peace Ossom-Williamson, Jamia Williams, Xan Goodman, Christian I.J. Minter, and Ayaba Logan

C4DISC Antiracism Toolkit for Organizations

Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People - by Kelsey Blackwell

LAUC-B Conference: October 5-6, 2021: Reimagining Libraries Through Critical Library Practices

#Critical Conversations in LIS 2021

Creating Diversity in Libraries: Management Perspectives

Reaching Out to Minority Librarians: Overcoming Diversity Challenges through Mentorship - by Ava Iuliano, Melody Royster, Margeaux Johnson, Anne Larrivee, and Lori Driver

Paying Attention to White Culture and Privilege: A Missing Link to Advancing Racial Equity - by Gita Gulati-Partee and Maggie Potapchuk

C4DISC Toolkits for Equity

Shared by guest lecturer Alanna Aiko Moore:

Neutrality is Hostility: The Impact of (False) Neutrality in Academic Librarianship - by 
Jennifer A. Ferretti

Neutrality is Polite Oppression: How critical librarianship and pedagogy principles counter neutral narratives and benefit the profession - by Jennifer A. Ferretti

Other resources shared by attendees/panelists:

Diversity Writings  - by Scott E. Paige

Readings on Race: Educating Ourselves, Our Communities - Collection of Readings in NISO Information Organized (I/O)

Session 2, September 24 - Navigating Initial Sensitivities and Hesitations

Speaker

Twanna Hodge

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Librarian
George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida

Many organizations want to make changes that start or further embed DEIA into their organizational cultures, services, programming, etc. However, they do not always recognize or understand the barriers (visible, invisible, historical, and present) that exist. How can organizations identify these barriers, work on dismantling them, and create brave spaces for people to engage in this work? This session will help registrants identify their organization’s hesitations, insecurities, and concerns toward enabling them to begin to achieve their diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility goals. It will help them navigate potential hostile, apathetic perceptions and endeavor to prevent organizational standstill keeping DEIA initiatives at bay.

Helpful Resources and Presentations!

Shared by featured speaker Twanna Hodge:

C4DISC Antiracism Toolkit for Organizations

2018 Quiet Revolution. Inclusive Meetings Checklist

Equity in the Center: Awake to Woke to Work - Building a Race Equity Culture

The Black Librarian in America: Reflections, Resistance, and Reawakening - Edited by Shauntee Burns-Simpson; Nichelle M. Hayes; Ana Ndumu and Shaundra Walker - Foreword by Carla D. Hayden

SMARTIE Goals Worksheet

EDI & Social Justice Opportunities

ANTI-RACISM AT WORK

Shared by guest lecturer Alanna Aiko Moore:

Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch

How Code-Switching Explains The World

Session 3, October 1 - Language Justice and the Power of Words

Speaker

Alanna Aiko Moore

Subject Specialist, Sociology, Ethnic Studies, & Gender Studies
University of California - San Diego

The words we use to communicate have intrinsic power and are a tool to navigate and engage with our world. Language and our vocabulary are rooted in histories of colonization and discrimination and often support oppressive systems. This session will discuss how vocabulary has a direct and indirect impact on marginalized communities and will strategize on how organizations can use liberatory language and words as a tool to advocate for others. Registrants will learn how to promote cross-cultural awareness, exchange, and understanding through the power of language and vocabulary and how to use that vocabulary to empower their patrons, customers, and employees.

Helpful Resources, Presentations, Literature, and More!

Shared by featured speaker Alanna Aiko Moore:

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman (MMIW USA)

Fumbling Towards Repair: A Workbook for Community Accountability Facilitators by Mariame Kaba and Shira Hassan

Shared by guest lecturer Twanna Hodge:

In The Library With The Lead Pipe: Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Fobazi Ettarh and Locating the Library in Institutional Oppression by nina de jesus

The BIPOC Project

Harvard Business Review: The Costs of Code-Switching

Code-switching: Survival For Black People

Dr. Porchia Moore: Leading Museums and Libraries into 21st Century Inclusive Praxis

Advancing Strategy through Staffing: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Library Leadership Roles - by Kara Bledsoe and Jennifer K. Frederick

InfoDocket: Statements From Libraries and Library Organizations Re: Racism, Black Lives Matter, and Increased Violence

Don't ask where I'm from, ask where I'm a local TED Talk by Taiye Selasi

The Cataloging Lab

Recorded webinar: incorporating critical cataloging into your work - social justice initiatives series (cs004-001)

Dartmouth Library: Change the Subject Documentary

Metropolitan New York Library Council: Critical Cataloging: Revealing and Dismantling Hegemonic Systems -  October 21, 2020 Webinar

Other resources shared by attendees/panelists:

Bad Manners LLC

Alternatives to ‘AFAB’ and ‘AMAB’

UCA Training: Coded Language

Click here for additional resources provided by our guest lecturer

Session 4, October 8 - Identifying Organizational Areas of Inequity

Speaker

Lauren Magnuson

Head of Collections, Delivery and Access
California State University - San Marcos

Organizations have the power to help address and reduce inequities experienced by their personnel and stakeholders, especially those of whom come from marginalized communities. An organization’s inequities can arise from structures and hierarchies put in place that are harmful to people of color, LGBTQ+ community members, or people with varying abilities. This session will help participants identify unfair treatment, policies, and structures relative to stakeholders within their organizations. Participants will investigate unconscious bias in things such as pay discrepancies,  decision-making processes, and career development opportunities. Organizations that identify the underlying issues of inequity are taking an important first step in resolving organizational inequities. This session will help participants take the steps after that needed to address inequities head-on.

Helpful Resources, Presentations, Literature, and More!

Shared by featured speaker Lauren Magnuson:

California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC)

https://native-land.ca/

Shared by guest lecturer Alanna Aiko Moore:

Schedule for ARL Fall Forum 2021

Other resources shared by attendees/panelists:

The Differences Between Allies, Accomplices & Co-Conspirators May Surprise You

Pacific Library Partnership: The Future of Libraries 2021

On Being Excluded: Testimonies by People of Color in Scholarly Publishing

On Being Excluded: Testimonies by People of Color in Scholarly Publishing, Part II

Session 5, October 15 - Gathering the Data

Speaker

Kawanna Bright

Assistant Professor of Library Science
East Carolina University

An organization’s willingness to meet DEIA needs can sometimes be reactive rather than proactive. But how does an organization know what stakeholder needs they must meet to help achieve their DEIA goals? This session introduces registrants to the use of data gathering for the determination of inequities. Knowing what data to collect and how to collect it is vital to an organization’s DEIA commitment. This session will also share information about data access, retention, security, and use for long-term assessment.

Helpful Resources, Presentations, Literature, and More!

Journal of Urban Affairs: Diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in arts and cultural planning by Amanda J. Ashley, Carolyn G. Loh, Karen Bubb, & Leslie Durham

Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability: Designing urban parks for inclusion, equity, and diversity by Vikas Mehta and Binita Mahato

Session 6, October 22 - Analysis or What The Data Demands

Speaker

Kawanna Bright

Assistant Professor of Library Science
East Carolina University

Once the data has been collected, how will organizations decode that information and use it to make true institutional changes? This session will offer suggestions for data analysis based on the various types of DEIA data collected by an organization. Additionally, this session will examine issues that may arise in the data analysis process, such as unconscious bias, and how these issues can potentially affect analysis and interpretation of the data.

Helpful Resources, Presentations, Literature, and More!

dedooseA cross-platform app for analyzing qualitative and mixed methods research with text, photos, audio, videos, spreadsheet data and more

Shared by course moderator Dr. Tonia Olivas

IMLS Grants: SUNY Buffalo (Department of Library and Information Studies, SUNY Buffalo) - The University at Buffalo and East Carolina University will investigate the retention of librarians who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)

NVivoA place to organize, store and analyze your data

Shared by guest lecturer Twanna Hodge:

JamboardSpark students to learn, collaborate, and engage in active new ways with the Jamboard mobile app or 55-inch cloud-powered whiteboard

ALA Diversity Research Grant Program - established in 2002, it is sponsored and administered by the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS)

LARKS (Librarian and Researcher Knowledge Space) - The American Library Association's resource for researchers of all levels of experience in school, academic, and public libraries

Session 7, October 29 - Organizational Readiness and Commitment

Speaker

Nikhat J. Ghouse

Associate Librarian for the Social Sciences & Coordinator of the Diversity Alliance Residency Program, American University. Organization Development (OD) Consultant & Facilitator, Jehan Consulting
American University

In this session, registrants will discuss organizational readiness and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) within the context of libraries. This session will take a deeper look into organizational readiness related to an organization's commitment to DEIA efforts. Attendees will learn to identify how to support DEIA efforts at their organization, including the steps to take to begin a significant change process that is inclusive and engaging of all levels of your system.

Helpful Resources, Presentations, Literature, and More!

Jehan Consulting

Shared by guest lecturer Twanna Hodge:

ACRL Diversity Alliance

November 11th Virtual Event with Dr. Adrienne Keene: Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgements & Token Representations

It’s Not Us, It’s Them: Characteristics of Anti-Racist Supervisors and Managers in the Library Profession

Caste (Oprah's Book Club): The Origins of Our Discontents

Resources Shared During the 2021 Fall Forum

Institutional Betrayal and Institutional Courage

Microaggressions in Everyday Life 2nd Edition By Derald Wing Sue

Microagressions in Librarianship

Topographies of Whiteness: Mapping Whiteness in Library and Information Science

Disrupting Whiteness in Libraries and Librarianship: A Reading List

Shared by featured speaker Nikhat Ghouse

Scharmer, C. O. (2009). Theory U: Learning from the future as it emerges. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Listening

Scharmer, C. O. Generative listening

Other resources shared by attendees/panelists:

Why Are So Many Knowledge Workers Quitting? By Cal Newport

Who Is Driving the Great Resignation? By Ian Cook

Washington Post Article: Many Black women felt relieved to work from home, free from microaggressions. Now they’re told to come back

List of Statements on Bias in Library and Archives Description

Ethnic Minority Scholars, Research, and Mentoring: Current and Future Issues

Metaphor: The Missing stair

Session 8, November 5 - Integrating DEIA into your Change Management Efforts

Speaker

Nikhat J. Ghouse

Associate Librarian for the Social Sciences & Coordinator of the Diversity Alliance Residency Program, American University. Organization Development (OD) Consultant & Facilitator, Jehan Consulting
American University

Change management or a planned process of change is a systemic approach that can engage any area for improvement. In this session, attendees will engage in the conscious, deliberate process of improving our approach with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to create truly inclusive organizations in words and practice.

Helpful Resources, Presentations, Literature, and More!

Shared by guest lecturer Twanna Hodge:

Advancing Strategy through Staffing: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Library Leadership Roles by Kara Bledsoe and Jennifer K. Frederick

Other resources shared by attendees/panelists:

Conscious Actions for Inclusion: A Common Language to Drive Uncommon Results by Judith H. Katz and Frederick A. Miller

Additional Information

If you have not received your Login Instruction e-mail by 12 Noon (U.S., Eastern) on the day before a scheduled Friday segment of the series, please contact the NISO office at nisohq@niso.org for immediate assistance.

  • Registration is per site (access for one computer) and includes access to the online recorded archive of the conference. You may have as many people as you like from the registrant's organization view the conference from that one connection. If you need additional connections, you will need to enter a separate registration for each connection needed.

  • If you are registering someone else from your organization, either use that person's e-mail address when registering or contact nisohq@niso.org to provide alternate contact information.

  • Conference presentation slides and Q&A will be posted to this event webpage following the live conference.

  • Registrants will receive an e-mail message containing access information to the archived conference recording within 48 hours after the event. This recording access is only to be used by the registrant's organization.

For Online Events

  • You will need a computer for the presentation and Q&A.

  • Audio is available through the computer (broadcast) and by telephone. We recommend you have a set-up for telephone audio as back-up even if you plan to use the broadcast audio as the voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) isn't always 100% reliable.

Please check your system in advance to make sure it meets Zoom (US) requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your system is properly set up before each webinar begins.