Diversity Committee Annual Report 2022
submitted by Z. Sylvia Yang
Current Roster
- Callie Holmes, chair (2020-2024)
- Ellen Ogihara (2020-2024)
- Abbey Thompson (2021-2025)
- Zachary L. Tumlin (2019-2023)
- Nurhak Tuncer (2019-2023)
- Z. Sylvia Yang, ex-officio
List of Previous Goals and Progress Made
- Help develop a public facing Statement of Diversity: Aligned with the goal areas of Organizational Excellence: Objective 2: Improve access to information by and about the Association to meet the needs of members and other interested parties; and of Membership: Objective 1: Increase outreach efforts to members from underrepresented groups.
- Diversity Statement Approved, August 2022.
- To be added to the MLA website.
- Develop anti-racist goals and actions for MLA: Aligned with the goal areas of Organizational Excellence: Objective 2: Improve access to information by and about the Association to meet the needs of members and other interested parties; and of Membership: Objective 1: Increase outreach efforts to members from underrepresented groups.
- Further develop a list of goals and actions MLA can take as an organization to further address the lack of diversity and systemic racism within the organization, and decide on a plan of action to recommend.
- Cultural Competency Training Working Group.
- Diversity Committee Corner Working Group.
- MLA-L Mediator Guidelines and Best Practices Working Group.
List of Future Goals
- Dissolve Diversity Committee and Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee; to be replaced with Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee in March 2023. Board approval received, 2022.
- Goal Area 1: Organize Strategically; Objective 1.2: Organizational understanding of DEIA; Objective 1.5: Evaluate the structure of MLA
- Goal Area: 2: Develop and Retain Members, Objective 2.6: Promote MLA and advocate for our profession, our members, our users, our institutions and for diversity
- Explore options for proposing and presenting IDEA-related content at MLA Annual as well as regional meetings, with the possibility of expanding to a pre-conference(s) at these meetings.
- Goal Area 1: Organize Strategically; Objective 1.2: Organizational understanding of DEIA
- Provide leadership in conjunction with the Planning and Reports Officer and CMs regarding strategies to increase IDEA for the 2021 meeting and submit recommendations to the board when appropriate.
- Provide leadership in conjunction with the Planning Committee regarding an Accessibility and Dependent Care Voucher.
- Goal Area 2: Develop and Retain Membership, Objective 2.6: Promote MLA and advocate for our profession, our members, our users, our institutions and for diversity
- Provide leadership in conjunction with the Emerging Technologies and Services Committee regarding accessibility standards for the first virtual annual meeting (March 2021).
- Goal Area 2: Develop and Retain Membership, Objective 2.6: Promote MLA and advocate for our profession, our members, our users, our institutions and for diversity
- Provide leadership in conjunction with the MLA/TLA 2021 Task Force to create Meeting Etiquette for the first virtual annual meeting (March 2021).
- Goal Area 2: Develop and Retain Membership, Objective 2.6: Promote MLA and advocate for our profession, our members, our users, our institutions and for diversity
- Provide leadership in conjunction with the Planning Committee regarding an Accessibility and Dependent Care Voucher.
- Explore options for creating a IDEA Toolkit that can be used by those teaching MLA sponsored courses or library instruction; in collaboration with the Diversity Committee, Instruction Subcommittee, and Education Committee.
- Goal Area 1: Organize Strategically; Objective 1.2: Organizational understanding of DEIA
- Goal Area 3: Cultivate Inclusivity; Objective 3.1: Offer a regular training program on DEIA and anti-bias