Next Draft: A Quarterly Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion digest from EDIT

This month we launched a quarterly Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion digest from EDIT, the Colorado Virtual Library EDI Team. In it you’ll find recent EDI-related posts and events.

This digest is sent to Libnet subscribers, but we will also be sharing here on the Colorado Virtual Library.

CVL HIGHLIGHTS

If Not Now, Then When? Starting your EDI process All great journeys start with a single step. In this article we reflected on the Colorado State Library’s EDI journey in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing nationwide protests.

Why Use Inclusive Language? Library workers in particular should work to foster a welcoming, respectful environment for all the patrons they serve. That’s why continual mindfulness about the language we use is so important. Includes links to some particularly helpful resources for staying up-to-date.

New Titles in the Book Club Resource Collection We have been working hard to make our book club sets more representative of Colorado’s people. Check out some of the exciting new sets on offer!

A Window to History: News from Amache – Colorado’s Japanese Internment Camp In order to forge a better future, we need to truly understand the lessons of the past. The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection offers amazing insight into the publications that were run by Camp Amache’s Japanese internees.

EDI AROUND THE STATE

If you’re a Colorado library and would like to have your EDI work featured in our digest or on the CVL website, please email us at edit@coloradovirtuallibrary.org. We would love to highlight your great work!

UPCOMING EDI EVENTS

If you have events you would like featured in this section, please email us at edit@coloradovirtuallibrary.org.

JUNE

• The Year in Review: A Juneteenth Celebration: Join the Coalition for Library Workers of Color Roundtable for our first annual Juneteenth celebration! The Coalition is a group committed to eliciting change and growth in support of people of color within the library community. Click here to sign up.
• Eliminating Library Fines: Improving Community Access, Equity and Usage: This webinar shares how going fine-free eliminates barriers and improves access to your library’s materials and services. Click here to learn more.
• Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) Queer Interest Group (QIG) Meeting: This month’s QIG Zoom meeting will be on Friday, June 25th from 3-5 pm.  We’d love to see your faces and hear what is going on with you! Please note, participation in CAL’s Interest Groups is a benefit of CAL membership. Register here.

JULY

• The People of Color in Library & Information Science (POC in LIS) Summit will take place on Friday, July 23rd, 2021 virtually via Zoom from 9:00 am – 3:15 pm PST. Registration will open on Friday June 15, 2021 at 9 am. POC in LIS Summit is free, but space is limited.
• Using Courage to Confront Bias: Bias is a natural part of the human condition and comes into play in many of our decisions and interactions. Responding to bias takes courage. But it is how we can positively affect ourselves, our teams, our patrons, our communities, and our libraries. We’ll also explore how to take a stand in a way that is objective, factual, and affirming. Click here to attend.
• Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) Equity, Diversity, Social Justice, & Inclusion (EDSJI) 2021 Conference: This all-day online conference brings together the topics of Equity, Diversity, Social Justice, and Inclusion.  Join us for a day of thought-provoking learning around these topics. Learn more.