Social Justice Design and Implementation in Library and Information Science

Bharat Mehra

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000528213
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Social Justice Design and Implementation in Library and Information Science presents a range of case studies that have successfully implemented social justice as a designed strategy to generate community-wide changes and social impact.

Each chapter in the collection presents innovative practices that are strategized as intentional, deliberate, systematic, outcome-based, and impact-driven. They demonstrate effective examples of social justice design and implementation in LIS to generate meaningful outcomes across local, regional, national, and international settings. Including reflections on challenges and opportunities in academic, public, school, and special libraries, museums, archives, and other information-related settings, the contributions present forward-looking strategies that transcend historical and outdated notions of neutral stance and passive bystanders. Showcasing the intersections of LIS concepts and interdisciplinary theories with traditional and non-traditional methods of research and practice, the volume demonstrates how to further the social justice principles of fairness, justice, equity/equality, and empowerment of all people, including those on the margins of society.

Social Justice Design and Implementation in Library and Information Science will be of great interest to LIS educators, scholars, students, information professionals, library practitioners, and all those interested in integrating social justice and inclusion advocacy into their information-related efforts to develop impact-driven, externally focused, and community-relevant outcomes.

PART I

Emerging new responsibilities

1

LIBRARIES FIGHTING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Nicole A. Cooke, Cyndee Sturgis Landrum, and Jocelyn Pettigrew

DOI: 10.4324/9781003129219-3

As the COVID-19 pandemic and its emergency implications became apparent, innumerable amounts of articles and other information were released about what to do, how to remain safe, and what quarantine and isolating would mean to communities around the world. Specifically, between March and November of 2020 the authors reviewed 416 articles, surveys, bibliographies, resource lists, and social media posts that explored the newly obvious social justice issues being laid bare by the virus, particularly as they began to affect libraries. This brief reflection is meant to provide a snapshot taking during an emergency. Some things were done well in libraries; other ideas and experiments did not end so well. However, there is so much to learn and critique as the future of libraries post COVID-19 begins to emerge.

Libraries, like the rest of the world, found themselves at a critical juncture in 2020. COVID-19 disrupted most libraries’ regular operations, forcing extended library facility closures, modified in-person services, and acceleration in the adoption of new digital service models. Mired in pandemic induced fear and confusion, the world watched many long-standing social and injustices and their subsequent responses (or lack thereof) play out across the media. Community leaders, including those in libraries, were expected to quickly, if not sincerely, articulate and act upon brand-new policies, services, and staffing models, which not everyone was ready, willing, or able to do. These crises were acutely exacerbated by misinformation and disinformation (mis/dis) that rapidly circulated across a myriad of channels; the mis/dis was often racialized and related to the many unknowns about the new virus. In response, many libraries leveraged their positions of community trust to offer access to reliable and credible information. These circumstances amplified long-standing challenges in library and information science (LIS) and created new ones. The confluence of external and internal drivers during this period has a multitude of potential implications that require serious investigation, consideration, and reconciliation within the profession.

Libraries and COVID-19

Libraries respond to community needs

Although the United States and much of the world were at a standstill due to the pandemic, libraries made an effort to adapt and meet their communities where they were at the time. The same resources and materials that were provided prior to the pandemic were still available; however, new services and modifications of past services were put in place at many library systems. The Guelph Public Library (Canada) partnered with the organizations Legal Aid Ontario and the John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington to offer patrons the opportunity to attend virtual court sessions from the library. Because of the digital divide and patrons’ lack of access to technology and the need infrastructure, especially during the pandemic, the library offered court tablets that could be used to conduct nonjury trials, fill out bail applications, and arrange future trials (CBC Radio-Canada, 2020). Another virtual service offered was telehealth. Although regular in-person services were not being offered, Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in Charlottesville, Virginia, offered reserved meeting rooms enabled with Wi-Fi for patrons to conduct telehealth appointments with their doctors (Holmes, 2020). The library’s administration understood that it was becoming harder for people to travel to their doctors’ offices and they might possibly lack the technology and resources to have appointments from home, so they pivoted to provide this new and necessary service to their community.

Among the many groups that have been severely affected by the pandemic and the societal shifts are families and children who had to navigate new worlds of balancing technology with traditional learning and mental stimulation, all from their homes. Libraries recognized the need to expand their children’s services and programming. In an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, Cecilia P. McGowan, the 2019–2020 president of the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), explained that libraries were still a great place for families to turn to during the pandemic. Library staff were still able to recommend quality books for youth, share mindfulness exercises with children, share age-appropriate resources about racism and the pandemic, and create activities that will get children up and away from their tablets and computers (How Libraries Can Help Families During COVID-19, 2020).

Library staffs were also reaching out to each other via personal social media accounts, surveys, or library-related social media groups. Children’s librarians posted about the work they were doing and asking for ideas from other library staff in return. In many cases, children’s authors also got involved and worked closely with library staff to lead storytimes, share resources, and suspend copyright restrictions to their works, or to talk about children’s literature to local community audiences (Jimenez, 2020, March 20). Indiana College hosted a webinar for teachers focusing on the digital divide and explained how to maintain a sense of empathy and equity in the online classroom environment. This free event highlighted the underreported fact that the pandemic had particularly harmful and significant effects on students from low-income backgrounds and first-generation college students (IU College Office of Diversity, 2020).

Internal library issues and concerns

Staff safety and security

It should also be noted that along with bridging the digital divide, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, libraries examined their layouts and design. Over the past decade, libraries have been renovated their spaces in hopes of providing more functional and inviting spaces for patrons to met the needs of an ever-changing society. Libraries were being forced to reevaluate their conditions for the health and safety of both patrons and their staff. At the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, cleanable surfaces and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that allow for increased ventilation were included in their renovation process. Plans for gendered restrooms shifted, with the need for cleanliness, safety, and privacy taking top priority (Ewan, 2020). Instead of gendered bathrooms, the library decided on “nongendered toilet rooms” that are self-contained rooms that are easier to clean and maintain and provide much more privacy for families, children, and other marginalized groups of library users. In addition to larger pieces and furniture placement, libraries that were in the middle of renovation processes moved forward with the installation of touchless lights, doors, and sinks. For libraries that did not have the budget for significant changes, the placement of wipes and cleaning supplies in public spaces, especially by computers or printers, became more commonplace (Ewan, 2020). The Public Library Association (PLA) also offered a variety of COVID-specific webinars during the initial outbreak of the virus in the United States (Free PLA Webinar Series, 2020).

Knowing that many libraries were likely going to be confined to online services, the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) board of directors urged libraries to close their doors to the public and share safer, virtual services, instead. The board also provided a list of webinars and resources on their web-page that included tips and advice on the types of services that libraries could look into, along with how to effectively share these services with patrons (ACRL Board of Directors, 2020). Numerous surveys were also circulated around the library world by various organizations in hopes of obtaining information about how libraries were adjusting to the pandemic and what libraries needed help or more information about in order to best serve their patrons during an unpredictable and unclear time (Lankes, 2020, March 18). These surveys have often been found on library-related websites, but many have been shared on social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. Along with the ACRL, the American Library Association (ALA) was also at the forefront for providing resources and webinars for librarians and library staff. Topics ranging from digital literacy, to readers’ advisory, to building community partnerships were covered in ALA’s webinars (Events by Program, 2020).

Budget and staff impacts

While libraries adjusted during an uncertain time, it was not always easy. Some library staffs experienced difficulty trying to provide virtual services with limited skills and resources, fear for their personal safety, and fear for the safety of their patrons, and many more library employees were furloughed or lost their positions. Educational technologist and library expert Jessamyn West explained that while technological expertise is a requirement for many library staff, not all staff members have these skills or began their jobs with the expectation that they would ever have to heavily rely on virtual services. These staff members had to spend time adjusting their personal lives and learning how to do completely new and different jobs (Young, 2020). Other staff members also worked overtime and even served as contact tracers in addition to regular library duties. In some cases, these staff members spent their own money to provide resources and materials for their patrons (Young, 2020). In addition to dramatic work changes, staff dealt with the obvious emotions that come with trying to survive a pandemic. Although they might have appeared to be calm on the exterior, their emotions were ever present and apt to appear at any given time (Peterson, 2020). Trying to process everything at once has been overwhelming at best.

For the staff that were not working overtime or learning how to perform new and different library duties, they had other concerns. Several library organizations, including ALA and the Society of American Archivists “strongly recommended” that libraries close their doors to the public (Evans, 2020). While many libraries across the country were eager to close their doors to the public and allow staff to work remotely with pay, libraries later came across new challenges and obstacles (Lambert, 2020, March 19). Due to some libraries closing their doors to the public and losing funding, library staff were furloughed or laid off. Some of these employees were older, immunocompromised, or otherwise medically at risk and were afraid to work in person at all, causing many of them to eventually leave the profession (Warren, 2020). Much of the fear was caused by the virus itself but also because staff was unsure of the speed at which libraries would reopen to the public to provide in-person services. One library employee shared, “We want people to use our services, but this is one of those things where we just don’t think it’s safe, yet …. We want to help people. But it’s not safe” (Zauzmer, 2020). Staff have also questioned the lack of transparency within some library systems and how some systems have failed to notify appropriate staff or the public when COVID-19 exposures occur. This failure to communicate openly and clearly caused staff weary of returning to face-to-face work to hope that they would be able to work virtually indefinitely (Zauzmer, 2020). One librarian’s social media post urged library administration across the country to be mindful of the needs of patrons; however, they strongly believe that taking the time to ensure the safety of library staff should be the first priority (Shore, 2020, March 22). The overall consensus was that the staff must be protected and taken care of in order to best provide for the public.

By March 2020, just as the pandemic was causing a global shutdown, 427 cases of COVID-19 and five virus-related deaths had been reported in New Jersey, but the Rutgers University staff that made attempts to stay home out of concern for their health were initially “harshly reprimanded” (Sherman, 2020). Rutgers eventually demanded that the library staff, who are nonessential employees, work from home. Their union declared that “members cannot be required to work under conditions that pose a threat to their health and safety” and the workplace must be “free from recognized hazards which may cause serious injury, physical harm, or death” (Slusser, 2020). In contrast, Princeton University immediately began limiting library services, with the library only being open for two hours a day, five days a week, to students and university staff that had holds available for pickup (Flaherty, 2020).

Chicago has had an elevated rate of COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic; however, Chicago Public Library (CPL) was forced to keep 20 of their 81 locations open for patrons in “dire” need of services, but library staff expressed their concern about the constant crowds in each of the library locations and the health of both patrons and staff. After Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to keep some of the CPL locations open, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which represents 900 Chicago library staff members, later condemned Chicago’s decision (Sherry, 2020). Yet the library moved forward with keeping their doors open during much of the day soon after the pandemic hit the United States. The city’s Department of Public Health Commissioner Alison Arwady stated that “keeping a limited number of libraries open during limited hours will ensure that [Chicago provides] for those who have no other place to go for basic access to the internet or other resources” (Sobol, 2020). Penn State library staff had similar concerns at the start of the pandemic, with many staff expressing concern for immunocompromised staff members being in danger if the library remained open to the public. They argued that immediately and quickly closing would not only protect staff and patrons but would allow staff to quickly find ways to virtually connect with patrons (Paez, 2020).

After both the Centers for Disease Control and ALA both publicly suggested that libraries temporarily shut down, many librarians called for the government to close the door to libraries (Nins, 2020, March 20). However, there was also pushback from both government officials and the public concerning the closing of libraries. At the start of the pandemic, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and his top aides were upset to hear that the New York Public Library (NYPL) had plans to close its doors to the public, citing concern over the health of children and library staff. This led to De Blasio making subtle threats to pull funding from the library, prompting NYPL to keep some of their locations ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents Page
• List of figures Page
• List of tables Page
• List of contributors Page
• Foreword: The legacy of promoting social justice in library and information science Page
• Introduction
• Part I Emerging new responsibilities
• Part II Reflective case practices
• Part III Reaching out: new research approaches and strategies
• Part IV Transforming LIS education
• Part V Instruments of action and change
• Index