Statement: ALA President Reminds Members of Professional EDI Tools to Address Microaggressions, Quash Racial Profiling

Here’s the Full Text of a Statement Released Today From the American Library Association:

American Library Association (ALA) President Loida Garcia-Febo released the following statement regarding the association’s commitment to providing library professionals with resources that support equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). This statement comes on the heels of two incidents that involved library staff and patrons of color.
“Libraries are places of opportunity for all who seek to better their lives through education and lifelong learning,” said Garcia Febo. “Regardless of race, gender identity, religion, or socio-economic status, all members of the community are welcome to use the library. As librarians and library workers, our core values fuel our efforts to be inclusive and sensitive to cultures other than our own. However, applying the nuances of equity, diversity, and inclusion to library service may pose a challenge for some.
“In concert with leadership from ALA’s ethnic affiliates, I would like to extend an invitation to library professionals who seek to make their working environments, collections, and services more inclusive. ALA offers its members professional resources to assist with identifying and quashing racial profiling and microaggression. Through its Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS), members have free access to a variety of EDI resources that support proactive preparedness, offer best practices to deal with racial incidents and issues, and address the needs of diverse communities.
“I encourage our members to take full advantage of the variety of best practices and resources the ALA offers as we stand in solidarity with our members of color and concerned staff who wish to strengthen our nation through cultural understanding.”
For additional EDI resources please visit the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), as well as ALA’s Libraries Respond page.

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