By Rebeca Rubio
Libraries need to speak the truth so hard it hurts.
Chief Stacey Laforme (Ontario Library Association Super Conference, Toronto, Jan 2020)
We are in a time of social revolution. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in addition to the Pride, Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements have demanded that we collectively examine our understandings of equity and discrimination. The demands by these movements are necessary, and responses to these demands are long overdue.
Schools, like other institutions, are complicit in systemic discrimination and are part of a system which needs examination. Equally, school Library Learning Commons (LLC) are structures within this system. They can be fierce allies who commit to equity and inclusion in their practice, collections and programming. So, as teacher-librarians, it is time for us to ask ourselves some hard questions: Which aspects of our practice have we failed to examine lately? Which voices, histories, stories and perspectives have we amplified in our collections and which ones have been silenced or excluded?
One way to actively answer these questions is to launch an LLC diversity audit. LLCs have a duty to ensure that all patrons have access to high-interest, high-quality books that are representative of their lives and the lives of those who make up their communities. A diversity audit is a thorough review or inventory of items in the LLC, with the goal of determining exactly how diverse the collection is.
A diversity audit can be summarized as consisting of four key steps: taking a random sampling of the collection, tracking it against diversity markers, generating data and then using the data to inform future acquisitions and directions. However, it is much more complex than these simple steps. It is a rich journey of professional development that addresses our implied biases. It also tackles a critical question: to what extent is the LLC collection representative of the school, the community and even the world?
Secondary teacher-librarians in School District38 Richmond, BC are currently immersed in a diversity audit. Our journey began in September as we unpacked concepts of identity, positionality, privilege, racism, systemic discrimination, diversity, equity and intersectionality.
Considering our desire to expose underrepresented voices, we set out to establish categories of self-identification, also called “diversity markers”. In setting those, we grappled with big ideas: How do we define race? What is decolonization? What is gender? What are our understandings of sexual orientation and gender identity? How do we define “ability” and “disability”, “visible” or “invisible”? How do we decide which groups are underrepresented or marginalized?
We settled on markers of race, gender, ability, and sexual orientation and gender identity. We also included Muslim voices, as a response to increasing Islamophobia in Canada. Finally, we included “Own Voices” as a marker, in a deliberate attempt to honour authors authentically writing about their own experience, as opposed to having others appropriate their voice. We then pulled a random sampling of our Young Adult (YA) fiction and started tracking it against these selected markers.
Our next step will be to analyze our data and then use it to inform our practice and update our collections. Whose voices, histories, worldviews and perspectives have we neglected? The diversity audit will be followed by advocacy, applying pressure on publishing companies to invest more in diverse literature. We will continue to amplify the voices that have not had equitable space on our shelves, in our buildings or in our classroom conversations.
Rabia Khokhar, a teacher-librarian from Ontario, noted, “Equity is not something we do every once in a while, but rather the lens through which we intentionally plan and carry out our vision for the school library.”
Equity is something we can champion all the time: refusing silence, committing to learning and unlearning, and understanding that this important work begins with an examination of the self. An LLC diversity audit is important work; it is equity in action.
For more information on LLC diversity audits, listen to the BCTLA webinar from January 14, 2021. Find it at https://youtu.be/Td8pApG_HCk
This article was first published in the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation Teacher Magazine in January 2021.
Rebeca Rubio is the Coordinator for Libraries and Information Services in SD38 Richmond, where she supports teacher-librarians in developing programs, managing spaces and developing learning commons spaces. She supports teachers and schools with resource acquisition, database navigation, digital literacy and other literacy initiatives. She also manages and maintains the District Resource Centre, acquiring and circulating valuable resources for all SD38 educators.