Join us for our last keynote and closing remarks as we end SLA 2022 Source Forward.
We are thrilled to end the conference with our final keynote session from Dr. Travis L. Wagner. Join us as they share with us The Role of Information Professionals in Crafting a Gender Inclusive Future.
A push towards gender inclusion requires a continued confrontation with what normative presumptions we possess about gender in our daily lives. While this requires unique work for information professionals in many capacities, it is an issue whose change requires a paradigm shift at the social level. While this talk cannot solve this challenge, it will explore how information professionals can serve as advocates and allies in working towards gender equity. The discussion will provide guidance on what it means to think inclusively about gender by reflecting on the ever-expanding and intersecting forms of gender identity under the umbrella of queer and trans. While this keynote will begin with an assumption of understanding gender-diverse identities, it will include relevant definitions and concepts for those requiring such information. Following this introductory section, the keynote will explore how various special librarians can engage in work that not only decenters cisnormative presumptions but highlights and elevates trans and non-binary voices. In doing so, the talk will explore various facets of the work of information professionals, which can be adjusted to be more inclusive of gender diversity. These facets will include but are not limited to metadata practices, organizational policy, and institutional communication concerning gender diversity. Understanding that many information professionals also seek methods to support gender diversity beyond their daily work, the talk will include tangible ways for championing the work of queer and trans activists while highlighting what skills an information professional can bring to the already occurring work of LGBTQIA+ activism.
