information 911

Wow, this week has flown by and this is the first chance I have had to get on a computer! Programs have been great and the ideas have been priceless. Yesterday I attended a session called "Information 911" that talked about diversity and the roadblocks that individuals sometimes face when seeking information or services from the library. Tracie Hall from Dominican University talked about the different facets of diversity--not just race and language, but things like education, age, gender, accents, and limitations based on lifestyle. All of these things affect how we are able to find information, and all of these things need to be taken into consideration when we think about our services.

What we at the library need to do is examine ourselves on a regular basis and determine whether we are looking at our services through different lenses so that we are not inadverdently creating more roadblocks for people. If an individual is illiterate, how do we expect them to read our signs to find out where things are? If an individual has been excluded from services in the past based on race or age or gender, how can expect them to feel safe coming to us for information if our staff does not reflect any bit of the diversity that we see in our customers? Awareness of these roadblocks is the first step, but not the only step. It is an ongoing process to constantly evaluate our services and how we are presenting them to different individuals.

Lots to consider. Thanks to Tracie Hall for bringing up some issues that make lots of library people uncomfortable but are necessary to wrestle with if we want to survive and thrive as libraries.

( and for making her presentation so wonderfully interactive!)