(via Dan Bostrom, RAILS)
The RAILS Board is forming an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee and we are looking for staff from our member libraries to participate, along with a few members of our board and a few RAILS staff serving as ex-officio members.
The Committee charge is the following.
- to develop a shared understanding of the nature of systemic racism and bias in libraries and library-related organizations and how to combat it
- to advise the RAILS Board and staff about appropriate equity and accountability goals to which RAILS and libraries should aspire
- to recommend ways to assess progress toward achieving those goals
The Committee will also help to: identify barriers in libraries and the library field and solutions to eliminate them; develop ideas and programs to increase awareness about systemic racism and bias among member libraries, staff and boards; and facilitate systemwide discussion about EDI.
We are looking for volunteers from all sizes and types of libraries (academic, public, school, and special), as well as staff from all different organizational levels. We would also like the Committee to reflect the diversity of the RAILS membership in terms of race, ethnicity, age, geographic location, background, and other factors. A keen interest and passion for EDI are a must!
If interested, please e-mail Deirdre Brennan, RAILS Executive Director, at dee.brennan@railslibraries.info. Include a brief paragraph on why you think you would be a good addition to this Committee. The deadline to express interest is Friday, October 16.