As our Library’s core values state, “we advance the principles of democracy, justice and inclusion.” We stand against all forms of discrimination, whether based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, physical ability, LGBTQIA+ identity, or any other category. As President Pollack has stated on many occasions, there is no place for antisemitism, racism, Islamophobia, or hatred of any kind at Cornell.
Learn more about Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell, which includes vital Anti-Discrimination Resources.
Hand in hand with Cornell University’s efforts, we strive to nurture diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging in all aspects of the Library’s operations, and through the dedicated work of the following groups:
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Council (on pause)
As stated in its charge, the DIB Council is tasked with contributing “leadership in diversity, inclusion, and belonging for Cornell University Library staff through program creation, dissemination of information, and evaluation of existing library programs and structures.” While the DIB Council is currently on pause, the Library continues to explore and implement ways of nurturing diversity, inclusion, and belonging within the library community.
Inclusive Descriptive Practice
The Inclusive Descriptive Practice Task Force is tasked with examining metadata practices to identify methods of reducing the subjective nature of cataloging practice. Meanwhile, the task force is examining how our description can better reflect the diverse communities across the world from whom we collect materials as well as the needs of our diverse users, in Ithaca and internationally.
Collection Development – Anti-Racism, and Just and Equitable Futures
At a moment in Cornell’s history when the university has committed to fostering “a culture that values transparency, accountability, and communication around issues of diversity and inclusion,” we are at work on a vision for our library collection that will guide our efforts to address blind spots and imbalances around these issues. The current effort focuses on anti-racism as part of a broader vision of just and equitable futures. Recommendations and plans for action are forthcoming.