Director’s Desk — June 2021

It’s been a year since I wrote a newsletter article imploring you, personally and organizationally, to act on issues of racial injustice. Recognizing that in those 12 months we have also been living through a pandemic and dealing with economic and other uncertainty, I want to ask you now to pause and reflect. What are you or your library doing differently in 2021?

I am encouraged by activities I see in our field. OhioLINK, supported by grant funding from the State Library of Ohio and several private donations, has reimagined their Workforce Diversity Initiative and grown the number of participating libraries. VIVA, Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium, is demonstrating their commitment to anti-racist actions by hosting a webinar series and incorporating DEI into their operational framework. Ithaka S+R partnered with the libraries at Binghamton University and the University of Delaware to create an Anti-Racism Talent Management Audit tool. At OhioNET, we are beginning work with The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio in order to ensure that we serve our team and our membership in ways that are inclusive and respectful. These are just four examples of many.

As we get back to normal life, whatever that means after the past fifteen months, let us recognize that “normal” life prior to the pandemic was not perfect. Instead, we should focus on creating a better life, for all of us.

Be well,
Nancy

To view the rest of OhioNET’s June 2021 newsletter, click here.