PDA Event: Preserving the Future by (Re)living the Past: Black Librarians and Social Change

Activism in the Black community is not new. Many African Americans have fought and died for change and an equal place at the American table. African American Librarians are no different. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of librarianship, but we’re still a long way from library staff reflecting the demographics of their communities. This presentation will discuss the history of and pioneers in black librarianship, and activism among African American librarians. We will also discuss the recruitment and mentorship of black librarians because the numbers are remaining stagnant.

Panelists:

Bridgette Sanders is an Associate Professor and the Social Sciences Librarian at J. Murrey Atkins Library at UNC Charlotte. Her research interests include reference and instruction, academic librarianship, assessment, diversity, equity, and inclusion including diversity in libraries, library spaces, virtual reference, and information literacy. She is the co-editor of the ALA editions book "Making the Most of Your Library Career” and has recently co-authored a book chapter in an open access book.

Tiffany Davis is the first Diversity Resident Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in J. Murrey Atkins Library. She has a Master of Science in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in African- American Studies from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She has worked with outreach and marketing for the university's institutional repository, Niner Commons. 

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Sponsored by ASERL