Stories from the Frontline: Overcoming the Challenges of Creating Equitable Institutional Transformation

This program will discuss the challenges and processes of finding solutions in the New Orleans Public Library's continued effort to create a sustainable Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) institutional culture. Beginning in 2018, the City of New Orleans created an initiative to address issues of Equity and Inclusion in city government. In response, The New Orleans Public Library created the Equity Task Force, which is comprised of volunteer staff members from all departments to tackle this issue. This was the beginning of our story. Presenting the New Orleans Public Library as a case study, we will discuss taking this broad scope issue and turning it into tangible actions in real time. We will examine our efforts to create institutional cultural changes as well as personal paradigm shifts to move past reactionary policy into real cultural change. We will include the lessons we have learned throughout this process.

Participants will be able to take part in brainstorming sessions to examine their own approach to EDI in their institution. We will follow with a question and answer round to facilitate opportunities for reevaluating EDI methodologies. This session will be of interest to librarians, library administrators, staff trainers, and anyone interested in the ongoing process of creating transformative change. This session will use our experiences as a springboard for reflection for library professionals to address their perspectives on equity and diversity in their institution.