VIVA, Virginia's Academic Library Consortium: VIVA: Anti-Racism Webinar TF

SCHEV LAC and VIVA Statement on Anti-Racism

Anti-Racism Webinar Task Force

Although 2020 was a year that was undeniably defined by the COVID-19 health crisis, it was also a year that was undeniably defined by a surge in recognition of the historic, deep, and continuing social injustice faced by black people and all people of color. In June 2020, the VIVA Steering Committee put forward a statement against racism, the heart of which was a commitment to taking anti-racist actions. As one of these actions, VIVA developed a webinar series about a broad array of topics centered in diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism. The goal of this series, which runs along two tracks, speakers and discussions, is to build community through conversation, creating a space where people can talk through their projects, engage with scholars, and learn what libraries could and should be like if in fact libraries value diversity, equity, and inclusion. A task force builds cohesion across the series and recommends speakers both within and outside Virginia.

Speaker Webinar 7: Scholarly Communications

Harrison W. Inefuku is Scholarly Publishing Librarian at Iowa State University where he leads the Iowa State University Digital Press, an open access library publishing program. Prior to starting the Digital Press, he launched and developed Iowa State’s institutional repository. Harrison advocates for diversity, inclusion, and social justice in libraries and archives and has published and presented on systemic racism in academic publishing.

If you weren't able to tune in for Harrison's talk Same Old Same Old? Understanding and challenging bias and inequity in scholarly communication, slides (pt. 1, pt. 2) and a video recording are available.

Speaker Webinar 6: Metadata and Cataloging

The sixth speaker webinar in the VIVA's Anti-Racism Webinar Series took place on Thursday, March 22, 2023, from 10:00 am -12:00 pm. Whitney Buccicone and Jeremy Bartczak from the University of Virginia Library, David Heilbrun from the George Mason University Libraries, and Merrilee Proffitt from OCLC covered the topic of Metadata and Cataloging. A video recording and slides are available.

Speaker Webinar 5: Race, Culture, and Community in Archives and Special Collections

The webinar took place on Friday, October 7th, from 10am-11:30 am, and covered the topic of Archives and Special Collections. Three extraordinary panelists joined us in a conversation titled “Race, Culture, and Community in Archives & Special Collections”. Panelists included: Executive Director Petrina Jackson, Dr. Ricardo Punzalan, and Dr. Rhondda Robinson Thomas. A video recording and slides are available.

Discussion Webinar 4: Recruitment and Retention

Dr. Jazz Jackson, Chief Student Success, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Thomas Edison State University, facilitated the fourth discussion session, held on Tuesday, September 20th from 12 to 1:30 pm, on the topic of Recruitment and Retention. Dr. Jackson guided attendees through a discussion of the July 26th presentation made by Dr. Offord, "Doing the Intentional Work to Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce."

Speaker Webinar 4: Recruitment and Retention

Dr. Jerome Offord, Jr., Harvard University Library’s inaugural Associate University Librarian for Antiracism, was the keynote speaker at the fourth speaker session in the series. The session was held on Tuesday, July 26, 1:30-2:30 pm, and the title of Dr. Offord's talk was: "Doing the Intentional Work to Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce." A video recording and slides are available.

Discussion Webinar 3: Instruction

Dr. Jazz Jackson, Chief Student Success, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Thomas Edison State University, facilitated the third discussion session, held on Friday, April 29th from 12 to 1:30 pm, on the topic of Instruction. Dr. Jackson guided attendees through a discussion of the March 30th presentation made by Dr. Kawanna Bright, “'Yes, it really is that critical': The challenges of addressing antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion through library instruction."

Speaker Webinar 3: Instruction

Dr. Kawanna Bright, Assistant Professor in the Department of Library Science at East Carolina University, was the keynote presenter for the third speaker webinar in VIVA's Anti-Racism Webinar Series, held on Wednesday, March 30th from 10 to 11:30 am. Dr. Bright’s talk was entitled: “'Yes, it really is that critical': The challenges of addressing antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion through library instruction." A video recording and slides are available.

Discussion Webinar 2: LIS Faculty of Color & LIS Education

Dr. Jazz Jackson, Chief Student Success, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Thomas Edison State University, facilitated the second discussion session, held on Friday, November 19th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, on the topic of LIS Faculty of Color and LIS Education. Dr. Jackson guided attendees through a discussion of the October 21st presentation made by Dr. Renate Chancellor, "Social Justice: Moving From Awareness to Action in LIS," in an effort to move toward meaningful and attainable individual actions.

Speaker Webinar 2: LIS Faculty of Color & LIS Education

Dr. Renate Chancellor, Chair & Associate Professor in the Department of Library & Information Science at Catholic University of America, was the keynote for the second speaker webinar in VIVA's Anti-Racism Webinar Series, discussing the topic of LIS Faculty of Color & LIS Education. Dr. Chancellor’s talk “Social Justice: Moving From Awareness to Action in LIS” explored the broader historical context of the struggle for equity and inclusion in Library and Information Science. A video recording is available.

Discussion Webinar 1: Leadership

Dr. Jazz Jackson, Chief Student Success, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Thomas Edison State University, facilitated the first discussion session, held on Friday, July 30th from 12-1 pm, on the topic of leadership. Dr. Jackson guided attendees through a discussion of the framework presented by Elaine Westbrooks in the first speaker webinar of this series in an effort to move toward meaningful and attainable individual actions.

Speaker Webinar 1: Leadership

The first webinar took place on Thursday, February 25th and covered the topic of Leadership with a focus on leading at all levels of the library. Elaine Westbrooks, Vice Provost of University Libraries and University Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, gave the keynote talk, and there was a panel of librarians from VIVA libraries: David Heilbrun (GMU), Lisa Payne (JTCC), and Yasmeen Shorish (JMU).

"The Reckoning: Visioning and Planning a New Paradigm for Equity, Antiracism, and Social Justice in Libraries" / Elaine Westbrooks, UNC-CH; slides and video.