The news and scholarly literature are replete with stories and articles describing the challenges that diverse individuals face in their local communities and workplaces. In Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success, more than 30 contributors share their experiences as advocates and supporters of equity, diversity, and inclusion in libraries and librarianship. The book is arranged in three parts: "Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter," explores the role diversity and inclusion has played in librarianship, addressing the question of its importance and relevance from the historical perspective to the present day. "Equipping the Library Staff" shares experiences, lessons learned, practical strategies, and challenges faced when building a library staff that is not only diverse, but also equipped with the knowledge and experiences needed to serve a diverse clientele. "Voices from the Field," presents individuals from diverse backgrounds share their stories who, frankly and honestly, offering potential strategies for meeting challenges faced in the everyday workplace. This book tackles these issues head on and should appeal to a broad audience whose interest is in diversity as it relates to libraries and librarianship, including professional librarians and paraprofessional library staff. It is the collective responsibility of all information professionals to create opportunities where individuals are encouraged and supported to bring their most authentic selves to the library. This level of authenticity will come as a result of intentional effort to cultivate spaces where people feel free to use whichever personal pronouns suit them, where individuals feel safe and comfortable to use the same support and professional development as their white counterparts, where diverse individuals can speak their truths and bring lived experiences to discussions without being attacked, mocked, or abused in the workplace, and where barriers that may prevent people with disabilities from taking full advantage of library services and spaces are removed. This book will help libraries realize that level of inclusion.

About the Author
Shannon D. Jones' (pronouns: she/her/hers) career in libraries spans 20 years. Currently, she is the Director of Libraries for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Prior to her arrival at MUSC, Shannon worked as the Associate Director for Research and Education at the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond. Shannon received her MLS from North Carolina Central University (NCCU). In addition to the MLS, Shannon also holds a BA in English from North Carolina State University, a MIS from NCCU, and a M.Ed. in Adult Learning from VCU. Beverly Murphy (pronouns: she/her/hers) is the Assistant Director for Communications and Web Content Management at the Duke University Medical Center Library & Archives. She is also the Hospital Nursing Liaison for the Duke Health System and Liaison for the Watts School of Nursing. Beverly has been a librarian for 38 years and holds a BS in Biology and an MLS from North Carolina Central University. She is a Distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals and has served in several capacities for the Medical Library Association including her current role as the first African-American President of the Association.

Reviews
The contributions to this book highlight and deepen the conversation with new and necessary voices in sharing the achievements and experiences made by marginalized people in librarianship. It is an important primer, a guide, if you will, for creating action and enacting change in examining equity, diversity, and inclusion. -- Derrick Jefferson, communication librarian, American University
Timely and necessary, Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success pushes LIS practitioners to move beyond just talking about diversity and inclusion in libraries. With a mixture of historical perspectives, proactive strategies, and first-person experiences, this compilation provides both impetus and support for action. -- Kawanna Bright, PhD, MLIS, assistant professor, Library Science, East Carolina University


Awards
Winner of Doody's Core Titles 2022.



Book Information
ISBN 9781538114391
Author Shannon D. Jones
Format Paperback
Page Count 210
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 308g
Dimensions(mm) 219mm * 151mm * 16mm