C - DEI
Articulate the importance of designing programs and services supportive of diversity, inclusion, and equity for clientele and employees.
Introduction an Explication
Information professionals are ethically obligated to act as socially responsible information stewards by ensuring broad and equitable access and use of information resources; holding ourselves accountable for work-related decision-making and activities; holding others accountable for their decisions, actions and transactions; and advocating for the “inherent dignity and rights of every person” (ALA, 2021; SAA 2020b). The ALA (2021) states that member librarians work to dismantle systemic and individual bias, inequity, and oppression in our organizations with the aim of expanding and deepening social and racial justice “in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, policies and procedures, and allocation of resources and spaces” (ALA, 2021).
Library and information science (LIS) professionals must intentionally recognize, take ownership of, and strive to remediate our individual inherent biases, by acting consistently in inclusive and reparative ways in our daily work and policy-making (Society of American Archivists, 2020b; Wong et al., 2018, p.55). We accomplish this by seeking out professional development opportunities that enhance a multicultural, multivocal perspective for staff and other internal stakeholders; intentionally reaching out to, and collaborating with communities to build trustworthy relationships; expanding services to create greater opportunities for access and use of our resources and services; and crafting collection development, access/use, hiring, and training policies and procedures that uphold the value and practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our professional settings.
In addition to the above, effective Digital Information Age libraries secure the funding and staffing necessary to provide our constituents with free access to the technologies necessary to fully participate in the knowledge sharing endeavor, and offer training and education on the tools, techniques, and practical skills needed to meet their information needs and wants (Hall, 2021). To increase our organization’s value to the community, we expand access and use opportunities through integrated digital and physical library spaces and services and generally encourage participation in the knowledge sharing economy with the goals of achieving a more, expansive, equitable, and informed staff and clientele, and increasing organizational efficiency and long-term sustainability (Krasulski, 2018).
Ethical Cultural Heritage & Knowledge Management
Biased, discriminatory decisions and actions related to cultural heritage and knowledge management initiatives are of central concern to those populations mis- and under-represented populations in mainstream information sources and resources. Such practices result in violations of internationally recognized human-rights; misrepresentation and/or exclusion of individuals and groups from the historical narrative, perpetuate socio-economic inequities, and disenfranchise vulnerable groups from access to, use of, and appropriate representation in, the knowledge the knowledge sharing economy and may violate their legal rights to dictate the use of their cultural heritage by the general public..
Information professionals have a duty to advocate responsibly for social and economic justice by proactively engaging those constituent populations disenfranchised and/or vulnerable due to a lack of appropriate representation in traditional information center models and sources and irresponsible collection, preservation, and sharing of cultural heritage and knowledge objects. Such advocacy should result in measurable improvements in collection diversity, equitable access to resources and services, and linguistic pluralism in the historical narrative (Society of American Archivists, 2020b; Wong et al., 2018, p. 57). To achieve this human rights-centered mandate, LIS professionals must proactively seek to build relationships of trust with peoples historically disenfranchised from the Euro-centric historical narrative, and collaboratively manage their cultural heritage and knowledge in keeping with human rights laws, principles and the Indigenous worldview.
Digital Equity Advocacy
The ALA defines the Digital Divide as the “economic and social inequality between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those that don't”, and considers it a key action area for libraries (American Library Association, 2007; Figueroa, 2014). The digital divide negatively affects information seekers globally, and in the U.S. manifests primarily through the rural/urban divide and discriminatory practices rooted in racism and impoverishment (Brancaccio, 2020; Hall, 2021; IFLA, n.d.; United Nations, n.d.).
Ethical, culturally-sensitive information professionals proactively advocate for the rights and information needs of all peoples. We have serious concerns about inequitable access to digital services and resources, particularly for vulnerable populations including but not limited to those individuals and groups impacted by discriminatory practices rooted in racism and impoverishment (Hall, 2021; IFLA, n.d.; Utoikamanu, 2018). Achieving social justice – both within our profession and for our communities – is a central LIS priority that requires practitioners to maintain a collaborative, innovative, and multicultural perspective when engaging with our stakeholders.
While the Digital Information Age is one of increasing interconnectivity at the global scale, lack of access to current technologies and broadband connectivity brings education continuity for low-income communities and countries to a near-standstill, further entrenches them in their low-income status, and perpetuates their ongoing marginalization and disenfranchisement from the benefits of Digital Information Age society (American Library Association, 2007). Providing open access to emerging technologies and training is key to achieving just, diverse, and multicultural information centers that enable all peoples to participate in the evolving global information environment. This ethical imperative is supported by evidence: “research shows that organizations that leverage multiple, diverse perspectives can experience better business performance and have access to alternative ways of thinking and behaving that advance innovation” (Wong et al., 2018, p. 52-53; 57).
Evidence
Written for my seminar in Indigenous Cultural Institutions and Practices of Librarianship (INFO 281, F22), this document assesses Chapter 490 of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) Tribal Code: Protection and Management of Archaeological, Historical and Cultural Resources (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, n.d.). As a whole, the CTWS Tribal Code is a legal document declaring the confederation’s right to sovereignty and self-determination. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) defines “ tribal sovereignty [as] the ability to govern, and to protect and enhance the health, safety, and welfare of tribal citizens within tribal territory” (NCAI, 2020). This right to self-determination and self-governance is frequently challenged by state authorities and others, and frequently results in violations leading to the misuse or misrepresentation of Indigenous cultural heritage objects by museums and other institutions (NCAI, 2020).
In keeping with the principles outlined in Articles 11, 12, and 31 of the United Nations Declaration the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Tribal Code upholds the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) (United Nations Division for Inclusive Social Development, 2007; United Nations Division for Inclusive Social Development, 2007). “A principle protected by international human rights standards”, FPIC upholds the rights of all peoples to self-determination and “to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development” (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, n.d.). Chapter 490 elucidates the CTWS’ governance rights and responsibilities pertaining to code violations involving sensitive cultural heritage sites, ancestral remains, practices, objects, and all other forms of sacred knowledge within the scope of U.S. federal statutes (Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, n.d.).
This document analysis functions as evidence for Competency C in that it represents my commitment and ability to proactively gain contextual understanding – from an Indigenous perspective – of the documents, laws, principles, and best practices which delineate a sovereign tribe’s legal and human rights to proactively guide individuals and groups seeking to excavate and collect data and information on federally recognized tribal lands, and to participate in the decision-making related to such investigations and their outcomes.
I recognize the implicit need for trust and respect between my organization and tribal representatives, and the essentiality of crafting mutually-agreed upon memoranda of understanding when seeking to investigate or display culturally sensitive materials. I respect and advocate for the Indigenous worldview and sovereign nations’ cultural authority. I honor and employ the access limitations identified by the tribe. Further, I understand the central tenets, laws, standards, and principles dictating the ethical management of culture-specific resources owned and governed by sovereign tribal nations and am prepared to apply the principle of FPIC, the tenets of UNDRIP, and the legal obligations outlined in tribal governance documents to the management of Indigenous cultural heritage and knowledge.
Evidence 2: Plateau Peoples’ Web Portal Links to an external site.
A discussion post written for Applied Historical Research Methods (INFO 285, F23), Plateau Peoples’ Web Portal assesses the purpose, functions, target audience, and usability of a trustworthy digital repository intentionally centered on the information and knowledge management needs of Indigenous peoples. The Plateau Peoples’ Portal (https://plateauportal.libraries.wsu.edu/) is a collaborative digital archives initiative developed and managed by the Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation at Washington State University (WSU) in concert with the Nimíipuu (Nez Perce); the Spokan Tribe of Indians; the Coeur d’Alene Tribe; the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation; the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai (Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation, n.d.).
The portal is an access point to tribally-curated collections of objects digitally repatriated from mainstream institutional archives. It is managed within Mukurtu (https://mukurtu.org/ Links to an external site.), an open source digital content management system built specifically for ethical management and sharing of Indigenous digital cultural knowledge and information (Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation, 2021). Mukurtu supports the use of Traditional Knowledge Labels (TK Labels), a set of culturally-identified metadata elements which enrich contextual understanding of tribally-curated digital collection. which aid interoperability and resource sharing between repositories. Further, Indigenous communities are able to assign local access and use rules to their objects “in ways that are consistent with already existing community rules, governance and protocols for using, sharing and circulating knowledge and data” (Local Contexts, 2021).
The portal facilitates cultural heritage research, education, and knowledge sharing within the context of the Indigenous worldview. In keeping with that perspective, the general public is invited to access and use the digital objects available on the portal, though some objects may only be accessed upon receipt of a specific participating community’s approval which may be requested via the portal.
This discussion post functions as evidence of Competency C by representing my knowledge and skills specific to culturally-sensitive and responsive archival management of Indigenous knowledge objects. It represents my familiarity with a real world example of a collaboration between regional sovereign tribes and an academic institution which supports the application of the ethical and legal requirements for Indigenous cultural heritage management. Further, it highlights my understanding of tribe-centered metadata and collection management within the context of the standards and best practices of trustworthy digital repositories, and my commitment to co-creating reliable and respectful information access points in support of research and education which remain true to their provenance and the authority of their creators.
Evidence 3: Remote Services in the Digital Information Age Links to an external site.
Written as a discussion post for Information Professions (INFO 204, F22), Remote Services in the Digital Era, articulates my conception of several core service shifts with which 21st century public libraries grapple and which, when implemented effectively, attract a diverse, non-traditional audience representative of the our communities’ cultures, social movements, and worldviews (Krasulski, 2018). Key issues include balancing service delivery in physical and digital library spaces to meet the needs of a more expansive and non-traditional stakeholder community; implementation of effective, user-centered remote services for around-the-clock access and use of information resources; and digital equity, the “key civil rights issue of our time” (Hall, 2021).
“The public library was conceived in an age of information scarcity, while today’s networked world is one of information abundance and mobility” (Garmer, 2014). Digital Information Age libraries embrace this information abundance and technological mobility by developing innovative services which meet the information needs of emerging types of information seekers and reflect global and community-based socio-economic trends (Figueroa, 2014). However, while Digital Information Age technologies promote social democracy and expand access to online resources, specific populations are left out of the equation due to racism, geographic location, and financial limitation, resulting in a lack of access to technologies and related education and training and education by some library patrons which hinders broad and equitable social and economic progress (Hall, 2021). To address this inequity in services and skills, effective libraries transition traditional service models, thus shifting their role from “knowledge keeper” to “knowledge creator” and implement innovative, collaborative service models to meet their professional mandate to support and promote intellectual freedom, provide equitable access to information and library services, and serve a broad and diverse population.
At the global level, lack of access to technology and broadband brings education continuity for low-income communities and countries to a near-standstill, further entrenches them in their low-income status, and perpetuates their ongoing marginalization and disenfranchisement from the benefits of Digital Age society (ALA, 2019b). For libraries to achieve their professional mandate to comprehensively represent and advocate for democracy and intellectual freedom within their constituent communities, it is crucial they prioritize overcoming this “digital divide” through advocacy and innovative programming and outreach efforts (Hall, 2021).
A key driver of the Digital Divide, information redlining is the “illegal discriminatory practice” of restricting or refusing to provide services based on community characteristics such as race or poverty (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.). Hall (2021) addresses the impact of information redlining by U.S. libraries, explaining that a quarter of U.S. households do not have access to the internet at home. “Despite the fact that students and workers in nearly every community in the country are now, as mandated by curricular or workplace policy, reliant on broadband connectivity as well as baseline technological literacy, there are clear and growing demographic inequalities along the lines of race, class, educational attainment, and geography” (Hall, 2021). In the U.S., Latino and Black households suffer from a lack of adequate access to broadband most significantly, resulting in a “racial tech gap” which undermines their capacity for economic mobility both in the present and in the future, and is nothing less than a mass disenfranchisement (Brancaccio, 2020; Hall, 2021).
This evolution of the library service model reflects current society’s shift toward a knowledge sharing economy and is intended to attract an inclusive, multicultural audience, maintain relevance to our constituents, and meet the strategic, values-based goals of public libraries to “evolve to become more responsive to and reflective of ever-changing community needs; champion public libraries as a public good; center equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice in working with and for libraries as places of equitable opportunity; and offer inclusive pipelines and pathways for the professional growth of all library workers” (ALA, 2017).
Conclusion
Digital Information Age librarians value and celebrate the mosaic of social and cultural identities and affiliations represented in our constituent communities. We seek to repair relationships with those populations made vulnerable by systemic marginalization, misrepresentation, and exclusion. Within the context of racial, social, and economic justice, we develop policies and procedures that support diversity, equity, and inclusion in our profession, our organizations, and our stakeholder communities. We ensure we are informed and up to date on the strategies, tools, and techniques necessary to collaboratively develop and implement innovative service models that meet the information needs and behaviors of a diverse and inclusive array of stakeholders and celebrate our interconnected and multicultural world.
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