Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statements on Academic Library Websites

Abstract

Post-secondary education in the 21st century United States is rapidly diversifying, and institutions’ online offerings and presence are increasingly significant. Academic libraries have an established history of offering virtual services and providing online resources for students, faculty, staff, and the general public. In addition to these services and resources, information on academic library websites can contribute to an institution’s demonstration of value placed on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This article analyzes the DEI statements of a library consortium’s member websites to explore how these statements contribute to institutional construction of, and commitment to, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Descriptive analysis revealed 12 of 16 member libraries had explicitly labeled DEI statements in November 2020, with an additional member updating their website to include such a statement in early 2021. Content analysis examined how the existing statements contributed to institutional value of and commitment to DEI, and multi-modal theory explored the communicative aspects of DEI statement content. Analysis revealed vague conceptualizations of diversity and library-centered language in DEI statements, while a subset of statements employed anti-racist and social justice language to position the library as an active agent for social change. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.

On impersonal justice: libraries' neutrality as an act of change

“…systemic, meaning that information infrastructures, contexts, technologies, institutions and policies are sites of power that shape and perpetuate inequalities (Mehra, 2021b;Mongeon et al, 2021;Bhakta, 2022;Matthews, 2021;Chancellor et al, 2021). Antecedents of social justice are in the first place societies (Buettner-Schmidt and Lobo, 2012) but also groups living in them (Ely, 2021;Mongeon et al, 2021;Bhakta, 2022;Matthews, 2021;Senteio et al, 2021;Ndumu, 2021;Ren et al, 2021). These societies are organised and structured in such a way as to favour certain individuals, groups and communities rather than others.…”

“…, 2021). Antecedents of social justice are in the first place societies (Buettner-Schmidt and Lobo, 2012) but also groups living in them (Ely, 2021; Mongeon et al. , 2021; Bhakta, 2022; Matthews, 2021; Senteio et al.…”

“…Other evidence proving the existence of power imbalances and systemic racism at different levels are also provided (Mehra, 2021b), even when neutrality is not explicitly discussed (Bhakta, 2022; Ely, 2021; Ndumu, 2021; Ren et al. , 2021).…”

Measuring Perception of College Welcome Provided to Foreign-Born Students: Validation with Pilot Data

“…Most college campuses in the US have a formal and outward facing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statement [14]. These statements are designed to help hold the institutions accountable and often include values such as anti-oppressive and social justice practices at their center [14].…”

What do six questions and fourteen years reveal about librarians? An analysis of ACRL’s Members of the Week

“…2 It has also been used to analyze diversity, inclusion, and equity statements on library websites as well as social media posts to showcase library resources. 3 Content analysis of the responses to the MOTW survey questions can reveal the individual characteristics, personalities, quirks, and values of academic librarians over the past decade and a half. It also reveals themes and trends among the membership and the profession of academic librarianship.…”