Course Information
| Session |
|---|
| Credits | 1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs |
|---|---|
| Registration dates | We accept registrations through the first week of classes, unless enrollment is full, and unless the class was canceled before it started due to low enrollment. |
Examining Institutional Racism in Libraries
$250.00
Dates: October 5 - November 1Credits: 1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs
Critical approaches to librarianship call on us to recognize the inherently political nature of information and to center social justice within our practice. However, we don’t always have time to read and discuss the literature on a focused area of social justice in our field. In order to do better, we need to know better.
This course will provide a structured space to read and discuss some foundational as well as current scholarly literature related to racial justice issues in libraries. Each week will feature assigned journal articles to read and reflect on, and then discuss on the forums. We will explore basic concepts of Critical Race Theory and journal articles applying this approach to specific aspects of librarianship, and we will discuss ways to extend this critical lens to additional aspects of librarianship and ways to work toward greater justice in libraries.
The content level will assume that participants signed up because they see racial justice as a valid and important concern, but participants do not need special background beyond that. Those with more background knowledge of this area may also benefit from the structure a course provides to (re)read these articles and participate in discussions of their content.
By the end of the course, students will have:
- Read some foundational and current articles that analyze structural or institutional forms of racism in libraries
- Examined the ways unquestioned structures and patterns can lead to racist outcomes, regardless of intent
- Discussed examples of how patterns discussed in articles can also be found in many of our institutions
- Discussed ideas and strategies to challenge and hopefully change these problematic structures
This course can be taken as one of four courses needed to earn our Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion Skills, but can be taken as a stand-alone course as well.
Course Description
Critical approaches to librarianship call on us to recognize the inherently political nature of information and to center social justice within our practice. However, we don’t always have time to read and discuss the literature on a focused area of social justice in our field. In order to do better, we need to know better.
This course will provide a structured space to read and discuss some foundational as well as current scholarly literature related to racial justice issues in libraries. Each week will feature assigned journal articles to read and reflect on, and then discuss on the forums. We will explore basic concepts of Critical Race Theory and journal articles applying this approach to specific aspects of librarianship, and we will discuss ways to extend this critical lens to additional aspects of librarianship and ways to work toward greater justice in libraries.
The content level will assume that participants signed up because they see racial justice as a valid and important concern, but participants do not need special background beyond that. Those with more background knowledge of this area may also benefit from the structure a course provides to (re)read these articles and participate in discussions of their content.
By the end of the course, students will have:
- Read some foundational and current articles that analyze structural or institutional forms of racism in libraries
- Examined the ways unquestioned structures and patterns can lead to racist outcomes, regardless of intent
- Discussed examples of how patterns discussed in articles can also be found in many of our institutions
- Discussed ideas and strategies to challenge and hopefully change these problematic structures
This course can be taken as one of four courses needed to earn our Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion Skills, but can be taken as a stand-alone course as well.
Lisa Cruces
Lisa Cruces is an independent consultant specializing in academic libraries, archives, and organizational development. Previously, Cruces has held positions at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Notre Dame, the University of Houston, and Texas State University, as well as advisory roles for non-institutional community archives and BIPOC collectives. Cruces completed her master of science in Information Studies at the University of Texas at Austin with a focus in archives and special collections and is currently pursuing her MBA in Human Resource Management at Texas State University. Her research focuses on assessing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in academia and workplace settings.
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