University of Illinois Library and iSchool Diversity Committees Receive Grant to Support Programs on “Becoming a Trans Inclusive Library”

From the University of Illinois:

The University Library’s Diversity Committee and the iSchool’s Diversity Committee are recipients of a Strategic Programs Initiative Funds grant to support programs on “Becoming a Trans Inclusive Library.”

The Strategic Programs Initiative Funds are offered by the University Library’s Executive Committee to support projects advancing one or more strategic directions from the Library’s Strategic Framework. This grant will support a series of brown bag discussions, film screenings, and visiting speakers to raise awareness and understanding of barriers faced by trans patrons seeking library services. Parallel surveys will also be conducted to identify service and professional development opportunities to help the Library better serve the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign trans community. Project leads are Associate Professor Kathryn La Barre; Spencer D. C. Keralis, digital humanities librarian; and Cindy Ingold, gender studies and multicultural services librarian.

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“I welcome this opportunity to continue fruitful collaborations between the iSchool and University Library Diversity Committees,” said La Barre, chair of the iSchool’s Diversity Committee. “The grant and programs it will sponsor over the next 18 months clearly demonstrate that trans individuals are important members of our community. We look forward to fostering knowledge about how to create welcoming and inclusive spaces in our libraries. The initiatives we hope to see as a result will enrich us all.”

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