Governance / Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee Meeting: October 7, 2025

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee Meeting: October 7, 2025

CONFERENCE CALL

Members attending representing these CARLI member institutions: Illinois Central College, Depaul University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Erikson Institute, Moraine Valley Community College, University of Illinois Springfield, Dominican University, Chicago Botanic Garden 

CARLI Staff Attending:  Anne Craig, Nicole Swanson, Wyn Schell

Announcements   

  • CARLI Announcements
    • October 21, 2025: CARLI Annual Meeting and 20th Anniversary Celebration. Register for in-person or virtual.
    • November 5, 2025: PDA Program from SIUC: Collaborating with Stakeholders to Support Underserved Communities with Reparative Collections: Benefits, Challenges, and Emerging Best Practices.
    • CARLI is working with ICC’s Devon Blumenshine and NIU’s Dee Anna Phares, possibly in partnership with a few other committees, to host a Community Chat on libraries and belonging.
  • Committee Announcements
    • Depaul University: The LIbrarians documentary screening at Alamo Drafthouse in Chicago in November 2025.
    • Illinois Central College: Presenting at Illinois Library Association conference, Tuesday, October 14th.

Discussion    

  • Co-Chair opportunity: Is anyone interested in taking part in committee leadership? Please respond to DEI committee email by end of day Friday, October 10th, 2025.
  • Community agreements: Take a look at agreements together once more and decide if any additions or revisions need to be made.
    • The community agreement came from the Chicago Botanical Garden. Members are in favor, some are cautious about what inferences might be taken from it. 
  • Idea Matrix: Discuss potential projects that the CARLI DEI Committee can take on this calendar year.
    • Members discussed the practicalities of using surveys to interact with library stakeholders. Members decided to go through the CARLI strategic plan as a committee, per the idea matrix. A decision was made to vote on focusing on either surveys or the strategic plan ahead of the next meeting, via a Microsoft Form.
  • CARLI discussed the ‘Building Diversity Graduate Assistantship Program’ for students from diverse backgrounds. Unfortunately, the venture ran out of money- providing a tuition waver and a salary.Three years were completed, but requests for new funding were not met. Committee member had hands-on experience with this program and thought it was very valuable. 

Meeting Dates

  • The next Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee meeting will be November 4, 2025 at 1pm.

ADJOURNED: 2:30pm