Penn Libraries (University of Pennsylvania): “‘Diversity in the Stacks’ Initiative Aims to Make All Students Feel at Home in the Library”

From The Daily Pennsylvanian:

Penn Libraries has launched a new initiative to help make sure students from all backgrounds see themselves represented in the libraries.

As part of the program, known as “Diversity in the Stacks,” Penn Libraries has been expanding its collections that represent minority groups who are part of Penn’s student body. Penn Libraries has also started a series of monthly blog posts to highlight diverse aspects of the libraries’ collections, including East Asian comics, LGBT film, and Latin American ethnohistory. The goal is to make libraries more accessible and inviting for all community members.

“I think the initial idea was in response to research from students that research libraries can be intimidating, especially if they haven’t used large academic libraries or research libraries before,” said Mary Ellen Burd, Penn Libraries’ director of strategic communications.

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In response to student research on this topic, Burd said, Associate University Librarian for Collections Brigitte Weinsteiger and about a dozen other librarians began working on “Diversity in the Stacks” to make sure all students see themselves reflected in the collections.

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Learn More:  “Diversity in the Stacks (via Penn Libraries; September 24, 2019)

Direct to: Diversity in the Stacks: Afrofuturism (via Penn Libraries; September 24, 2019)

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Libraries, News