ALA/ARL Seek Feedback on Draft Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity Framework

January 23, 2022

The Joint ALA/ARL Building Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity Framework Task Force seeks feedback from the library community on the initial draft framework.

Library workers can submit feedback on the CommentPress site of the associations’ Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity Framework by Wednesday, March 2, 2022 at 5pm (Central Time).

This framework has been developed as a tool both theoretical and practical in its orientation, as a guide for developing personal, organizational, institutional, and systems-level knowledge and understanding of the nature of racism, its many manifestations. Racism results in differential, inequitable, and often devastating impacts on communities who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the library and information science (LIS) sector, the communities we serve, and beyond. The framework is not intended to be liberatory practice in itself, —an instrument or agent that will abolish racial inequity–but, rather to provide the grounding needed to effect change in thinking, behavior, and practice that will lead to better outcomes for racialized and minoritized populations. Although the LIS sector cannot, on its own, solve the problem of racism in society, it can acknowledge the role it has played in sustaining systems of inequity and oppression of communities of color, and own the responsibility for countering its effects, both historically and today.

The initial draft framework includes an introduction, four frames, a glossary, and resources for further reading.

The initial draft framework is available on the CommentPress site. All library workers are invited to provide feedback on the draft framework by March 2, 2022 at 5pm (Central Time). Two online update virtual meetings will be held:

• February 16, 2022, 2:00 to 3:00 pm (Central), for library workers from all library types. Free registration.
• February 23, 2022, 2:00 to 3:00 pm (Central), for library workers from public libraries. Free registration.

Following the close of the comment period, the task force will review and incorporate feedback for a potential final draft. If substantial feedback is collected through the online website and virtual forums and significant revisions are needed, a second revised draft framework will be shared widely for comment. When the framework is finalized, it will go through the approval process for adoption by the four organizations, ACRL, ARL, ALA, and PLA.

Background

In September 2019, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS); Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL); Association of Research Libraries (ARL); and Public Library Association (PLA) announced the formation of the Building Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity Framework Task Force. The task force was charged to create a framework for cultural proficiencies in racial equity that can be used in public and academic libraries through: scanning the environment, including review of relevant documents (such as ACRL Diversity Standards: Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries) to identify literature and similar statements and frameworks related to racial equity; drafting the framework; seeking comment from stakeholders and the library community on the draft; and revising as needed.

Since its formation, the task force has held status updates at the June 2021 ALA Annual Virtual Conference and Exhibition and April 2021 ACRL Conference. Through February 2021, the task force developed a logic model, with facilitation by Katherine Skinner, executive director, Educopia Institute. In May 2021, Christina Fuller-Gregory, assistant director of libraries, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, joined the task force to build on the logic model, as well as an environmental scan and findings from a cross-sector survey, to lead the framework development.

(Via American Library Association)