Collective Power: Professional Advancement of BIPOC Librarians
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
Summer 7-21-2023
Abstract
This presentation showcases the work of five library workers of color, who comprise a newly formed, 100% BIPOC, and majority-queer department within a private urban university library. Consisting of two mid-career librarians, two early-career librarians, and one library assistant considering an MLIS programme; we share how our collective power helps us achieve our professional goals, and contributes to a department run with respect and empathy. Simultaneously, our presence as a collective can also be conspicuous, and we reflect on some of the nuances and challenges of our departmental experience. As our department has gained visibility across campus, we have increasingly been called upon to serve on committees, including hiring committees. As such, we are poised to offer our perspectives as both relatively new hires at the university, and employees with substantial recruitment service. We share some of the inclusive practices we have advocated for regarding BIPOC recruitment and retention, and what has been beneficial in our own onboarding and mentorship experiences. Lastly, we reflect on how we have used our influence and institutional privilege to center equitable and anti-racist practices within our work. We share our perspectives working within a predominantly white profession, and what we would like library leaders at all levels to know.
Recommended Citation
Briggs, Chanda; Salas, Magaly; Andrews, Nicola; Hernandez, Tyler; and Pho, Annie, "Collective Power: Professional Advancement of BIPOC Librarians" (2023). Gleeson Library Faculty and Staff Research and Scholarship. 47.
https://repository.usfca.edu/librarian/47
