I Am...
When I was young, I faced extreme difficulty with education. The classroom was overwhelming for my then undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), which often left me frustrated, misunderstood, and isolated. However, my boundless energy soon found direction when my mother signed up for our first library card. One of many, as they crinkled and yellowed from my overuse. Books became my first love as I discovered far-off lands, enchanting people, and captivating cultures. Books gave me a sense of belonging and understanding, which was often missing in my immediate environment. The integration of diversity and inclusion in my career is deeply personal, rooted in my own experiences and my respect for others. Diversity is more than a base understanding that all people are different. It is about creating spaces for individuals and their experiences to be seen, heard, and valued. Whether it’s neurodivergence, cultural background, race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, or other aspects of their intersectional identity, everyone is valuable. As information professionals, we need systems and spaces that recognize their needs and contributions and celebrate their uniqueness. To gain this deeper understanding, we must reflect on ourselves and our intersectionality.
I am white, and my family's detailed family history of our German and Irish heritage inspires my deep appreciation for history and culture. I come from a low-income household, and I was the first in my family to graduate college. I look forward to being the first with a graduate degree. I am in an inter-racial relationship and live with my partner in Atlanta, Georgia. I was raised Southern Baptist and Catholic, but I identify as agnostic. I grew up on the Black Warrior River in Oak Grove, Alabama, next to the coal mines my family has worked in for generations.
While this may read like a list of identities, this list represents my lived experiences, the bonds I share with others, and an opportunity for me to expand my worldview by connecting to those similar to and different from me.
The Black Warrior River at sunset
Octavia Butler is the first science fiction author I read, and she introduced me to the power we have in our diversity. Butler explores the intersectional identities of humanity, power dynamics, and the importance of building connections. In Lilith's Brood, Butler forces readers to consider our differences: race, gender, ability, and the value that these hold. Just as Lilith comes to see her humanity and diverse identity as valuable to the fictional Oankali alien species and learns to respect their diversity and culture, we as information professionals must do the same on an Earth level. Butler taught me the importance of creating spaces where diverse and marginalized people are not only welcomed and accepted but also celebrated and appreciated for what they bring to the table. As Overall explores in her essay “Cultural Competence: A Conceptual Framework for Library and Information Science Professionals,” diversity and inclusion are more than a mental process of understanding; they are active parts of our everyday lives. It is about our internal self-reflections and acknowledgments, the connections we build with others, and the actions we take to build welcoming libraries, archives, museums, and galleries for our communities.
Diversity Focus
For this course, I am focusing on evaluating the diversity and inclusion efforts related to Black history and Black community members’ access to information at the Tannehill Ironworks State Park’s Iron and Steel Museum in McCalla, Alabama. As part of my analysis, I will evaluate the museum’s current collections and current description standards to ensure they promote information accessibility, equity, and representation for the Black community. This evaluation will include reviewing existing exhibits via their virtual tour, a review of current outreach events, and the identification of gaps in accessibility due to inaccurate cataloging and description practices. I will develop a strategic action plan that outlines steps to enhance representation, inclusivity, and accessibility within the museum. A focus on Black history and information access at the Iron and Steel Museum is important to ensuring equitable access to historical narratives and resources for the Black community. Organizations such as the Archives For Black Lives in Philadelphia (A4BLiP) remind us of the importance of anti-oppressive archival and museum practices by ensuring descriptions are free from racism and biases. By following the controlled vocabulary standards suggested by A4BLiP, the Iron and Steel Museum can develop standards reflective of the Black communities’ experience and information searching and address their historical omissions and misrepresentations. By developing a diversity action plan and challenging oppressive historical narratives, the Iron and Steel Museum can empower the Black community, foster more inclusive cultural practices, and ensure all patrons can see themselves reflected in the museum’s collections.
A cabin at Tannehill State Park
REFERENCES
Archives For Black Lives in Philadelphia. (n.d.). About A4BLiP. Retrieved from https://archivesforblacklives.wordpress.com/
Overall, P.M. “Cultural Competence: A Conceptual Framework for Library and Information Science Professionals.” Library Quarterly 79, no. 2 (2009): 175-204.