Conducting a Large-Scale Diversity Audit for Urban Public Library Systems

Collection audits are a gold-standard tool for measuring diversity in collections. However, the limited research and scale involved in performing one in a large public library system can be daunting and result in a project that never takes off. In a greater commitment to better serve our community through diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas, the St. Louis Public Library saw a need to not only conduct a full-scale diversity audit of our collections, but to create a sustainable plan of continued assessment and future growth, rather than a one-and-done approach to auditing. In order to achieve this, we sought to include more than just Collection Management. Public Services staff at all levels are involved in all aspects of the project including survey, evaluation, and improvement. Attendees will learn how we developed, and how other public libraries can use, our large-scale method for surveying both the standing collection and acquisitions (physical and digital materials), as well as the evaluation and communication of our results and our plan for sustainability going forward.