Dear Students,
We are your Libraries. We stand with you. We write to you as a group of librarians who do instruction with and for you. We write to you specifically about that work, while recognizing that our other areas of our work also require reflection and changes (as the UO Libraries Statement on Racism and Systemic Inequalities points out).
We know our country and our world, suffer from deep systemic problems related to the construct of race. The issues are not new, but with each tragic loss of life, we are called to respond. In particular, we see the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, along with too many others in the Black community, as wrong and unjust acts perpetrated by white people, who are often the police sworn to protect all of us or who use the police as a means to endanger someone out of hate or ignorance.
This is unacceptable.
We want you to know that we grieve alongside you. We struggle to process what is happening. We are worried about the increased militarization of our police force, the continued systemic oppression of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We are aware of racism in our profession, in our institution, and in ourselves. We wonder what we can do to make things right in our community and on our campus. We want to see real change and we recognize that change starts with ourselves.
As instruction librarians, we commit as individuals and as a group to:
- Engage with all students regardless of race, ethnic group, color, religion, citizenship, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, social class, marital status, ability, or veteran status
- Use diverse, inclusive, and antiracist examples and materials in our teaching
- Put professional time and energy into learning about racism, implicit bias, and other related trainings
- Examine ourselves and reflect on our motivations in the course of our work
- Participate in the governance of this campus and commit to doing that work in an antiracist and conscientious manner
- Participate in ongoing conversations about mitigating harm to BIPOC colleagues and students in our Libraries and on campus that stems from whiteness and white supremacy both in instruction and in other areas of our work such as collection development
- Hold each other accountable to these actions in our workplace with care and a deep desire for each other’s wellbeing and growth
In our private lives, we commit, and reaffirm our commitments, to:
- Engage with the political process: to write letters and make calls to our representatives; to consider how polices will affect BIPOC; and to encourage our colleagues to do the same
- Volunteer with or donate money to BIPOC organizations in our communities as we’re able, and we recommit to continuing that work even if it feels inconvenient or hard
- Understand what it means to be a bystander who intervenes, and we endeavor to have the strength to do so when called upon
The UO Libraries has an Open Letter to the Community posted on our website, dated November 15, 2016 (updated: October 25, 2017 and December 14, 2018). While acknowledging the burden to make changes is often placed on BIPOC, we welcome all who are able to submit comments and suggestions about both the letter and what you need and want from us at this time.
We are your Libraries. We are here to listen, to support, and to learn alongside you.
Signed:
Bronwen K. Maxson, Undergraduate Engagement Librarian & Subject Specialist for Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies
Annie Zeidman-Karpinski, Ken and Kenda Singer Science Librarian
Dean Walton, Lorry I. Lokey Science and Technology Outreach Librarian
Jeff Staiger, Humanities Librarian
Elizabeth Peterson, Humanities Librarian
Kristin Buxton, Science Librarian
Kate Thornhill, Digital Scholarship Librarian
Miriam Rigby, Social Sciences Librarian
Linda Long, Curator of Manuscripts
Ann Shaffer, Music and Dance Librarian
Kevin McDowell, Japanese Studies Librarian and Subject Specialist for History
Kelly Reynolds, Law Reference Librarian
Barbara Jenkins, Coordinator, Outreach & Special Programs
Rayne Vieger, eLearning & Open Educational Resource (OER) Librarian
Gabriele Hayden, Research Data Management and Reproducibility Librarian
[This letter was originally drafted on June 2, and shared for edits and reflections through June 11, 2020]