Enhancing BIPOC Representation in STEM Collections Through Diversity Audit
Central Washington University's Student Success Librarian, Janet Calderon, explores the importance of evaluating and enhancing diversity in library collections to better serve BIPOC students in STEM fields. The study examines the lack of established criteria for collection diversity, the significance of BIPOC author representation, and the methodology used to assess and address this issue. Key findings reveal the need for continual assessment and active curation to promote underrepresented voices in STEM literature.
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Acquisitions for the Sciences: Using a Diversity Audit to Serve BIPOC Students in STEM Janet Calderon Student Success Librarian Central Washington University
CONTENTS What is Collections Diversity? Why a BIPOC author representation assessment? Methodology Results Discussion Activity and Wrap-up
WHAT IS COLLECTIONS DIVERSITY? The Ithaka S+R US Library Survey 2020 found that ...most libraries have not developed criteria for evaluating and making decisions related to the diversity of their collections.
WHAT IS COLLECTIONS DIVERSITY 2.0? Recent scholarship argues that diversity as it relates to library collections is an ongoing pursuit that requires critique and re- evaluation of methods. To curate diversity in a collection also requires actively seeking underrepresented peoples and voices (Jahnke, Tanaka, & Palazzolo; 2022)
WHY A BIPOC AUTHOR REPRESENTATION ASSESSMENT? To center a Reparative Approach ...a way of thinking about justice (a mindset) that centers those who have been harmed, and focuses on repairing past harms, stopping present harm, and preventing the reproduction of harm https://nebhe.org/reparative-justice/ To Make it Student-Centered From 2019-2021, BIPOC students made up an average of 47% of total students enrolled https://pine.humboldt.edu/~anstud/humis/demo-AAFHEV.html
METHODOLOGY Part 1 Refining the collection and sample size Returned Modifiers used 508 books, over 500 authors 26% of that specific collection Subject Heading: natural resources Physical books held by library Why a sample size? Time limit and individual limit Publication date: 2000-2022
METHODOLOGY Part 2 How were authors assessed for representation? Author self-identification primarily through Limitations Pre-determined racial and ethnic categories through institutional research Bios, personal websites, interviews, social media
BIPOC authors make up 6% of the 506 authors in the subject of Natural Resources, published 2000- 2022 RESULTS VENUS JUPITER MARS
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM Why the poor representation? Academic publishing, academia representation in general, vendors used, lack of resources (especially personnel and slashed budgets) Why does this matter? Curating BIPOC students' sense of belonging in the STEM field, in academia, on campus, and in the academic library
WHAT CAN WE DO AS AS LIBRARIES? Policy-making Best Practices Create a minimum % goal of representation we want to hit and then exceed it Diversity line item Increase discoverability- internal tags and/or Subject Headings Set up a framework for selection to increase diversity
How the library shared and connected with students Wikipedia + Libraries: Better Together Using a Wiki-edit-a-thon to add diverse sources to STEM articles https://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/wikipedia-libraries.html
Thanks! CREDITS: This presentation template was Flaticon created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik and illustrations by Stories Please keep this slide for attribution Slidesgo Freepik Stories Janet Calderon Student Success Librarian Central Washington University janet.calderon@cwu.edu ]]
