Developing and Conducting a DEI Language Inclusivity Assessment on a Health Science Library’s Website

Objectives: The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Team at a university health science library sought to conduct a language inclusivity assessment of their library’s public-facing website. The project’s objectives were to 1) create a checklist for inclusive language, 2) review the library’s webpages using the checklist, 3) update the webpages accordingly, and 4) circulate the checklist to the university’s other libraries for potential use. Language inclusivity was defined as “language that is free from words, phrases or tones that reflect prejudiced, stereotyped or discriminatory views of particular people or groups” (British Columbia Public Service).

Methods: First, the team searched for literature relating to best practices for language inclusivity. Nineteen useful resources were located, from which the team compiled a 32-item checklist, covering demographic information collected in webforms, as well as identification of gendered language, stereotypes, ableist language, and out-of-date terminology. With this checklist, the team reviewed the 33 webpages of the library’s website, not including LibGuides or links to external webpages. Each webpage was assessed by one of five team members, who used a spreadsheet pre-populated with the checklist to record language that needed to be changed. The team also made a note of DEI-related content that could potentially be added, based on the language inclusivity literature we had consulted before beginning the assessment.

Results: Nineteen instances were recorded for which improvements needed to be made, encompassing the following topics: adding pronouns for employees who opt in; referring to invisible disabilities on our “users with disabilities” page; using student-first language instead of faculty-first; spelling out acronyms; and removing outdated language with negative connotations such as “earmarked”, as this term has been associated with enslavement. The team’s recommendations for website content additions included creating a DEI statement; developing a code of conduct for the library’s online and physical spaces; and adding information about parking, assistive technologies, and emergency evacuation procedures to our “users with disabilities” page.

Conclusions: The website updates are currently underway and the checklist has been circulated to the six other university libraries as planned. The next stage of the project is to expand the website review to include the library’s Archives pages; this poses the additional challenge of recognizing and appropriately delineating historical language where appropriate, so our library’s Archivist has joined the project team. Following completion of the Archives pages, the DEI Team plans to use the checklist to begin assessing our library’s LibGuides, signage, and non-digital flyers and forms.