[Libs-Or] OLA Author Showcase | Lily Hawley & Jennifer Wells, OHSU | Micro Actions Support Culture of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in an Academic Library

[OLA Communications Committee]

Lily Hawley is a Collections Assistant and Jennifer Wells is a Student
Worker at Oregon Health & Science University Library.  Please download and
read their latest article, "Micro Actions Support Culture of Equity,
Diversity, and Inclusion in an Academic Library," here:
https://commons.pacificu.edu/olaq/vol25/iss2/11/

>From their article, "Our idea for this article came out of personal
experience. As student workers for Access Services and Collection
Management, we had both noticed an increase in new library materials
highlighting LGBTQ+ topics. Each of us, without any direction or consulting
one another, had made a point to showcase these particular titles on the
library’s new bookshelf by facing the covers outward. When we discussed why
we did this, we each admitted to personally valuing EDI in library settings
and thought this kind of small action was something we could do to visibly
promote EDI through our collection. What patrons see in our collections
represents a version of reality, of what is possible. It shapes the way our
students, the medical professionals of the future, view and understand the
treatment for diverse groups. It is crucial that students have access to a
wide variety of resources: ones that allow them to see how diseases look on
a range of skin tones, to understand how to make accommodations for people
with physical and intellectual disabilities, to learn about treating the
health concerns of the LGBTQ+ community, and to develop culturally
sensitive practices for providing healthcare to patients from many
cultures, socioeconomic classes, and marginalized groups.

It's a good thing to have well-defined goals and overarching principles as
guidelines to promote Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. It's even better to
have individual staff members committed applying to these principles both
to large, ambitious projects and to important daily tasks. Micro Actions
may seem small, but they add up to create a true EDI-based culture that
helps patrons, staff, and the community as a whole. And when this community
is the top-ranked hospital in the state, the efforts described here will
literally help save lives. Maybe your own. Lily and Jennifer, thank you for
your service.

Charles Wood
OLA Communications
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