Land Statement
We would like to acknowledge that our work takes place on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the xwməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, Səlilwətaɬ nations in what is colonially known as Vancouver.
This report was created with contributions from British Columbia Library Association (BCLA) staff and Board of Directors and members of our project advisory group, whose work takes place on diverse Indigenous lands. We recognize the ongoing impacts of colonialism and systemic racism faced by Indigenous people across Canada include but are not limited to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Residential Schools, anti-Indigenous violence in the criminal justice system, and ongoing suppression of diverse Indigenous languages, culture, and ways of being. We encourage readers to place this report within the context of ongoing anti-Indigenous racism by also reading the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report, and the In Plain Sight report into Indigenous-specific discrimination in BC health care
Acknowledgements
This first phase of the work has been guided by the BCLA Anti-Racism Project Advisory Group (PAG). The PAG was formed through an open call to the BC library community. It is composed of BCLA members, non-members, IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour), and non-IBPOC individuals that make up a diverse mix of perspectives, expertise, and regional representation. The PAG was instrumental in providing feedback, context, and guidance during the development of the survey, case studies, presentations to the BCLA Board and BCLA conference, and recommendations.
- Laurie Angus, Terrace Public Library
- Josh Chan, Courthouse Libraries BC
- Aditi Gupta, University of Victoria
- Emily Guerrero, Burnaby Public Library
- Christian Isbister, UBC Okanagan Library
- Sajni Lacey, UBC Okanagan Library
- Dalia Levy, Vancouver Island Regional Library
- Courtney Miller, UBC MAS/MLIS Student
- Sarah Tarcea, North Vancouver City Library
- Abi Ward, McBride & District Public Library
- Rina Hadziev, Executive Director of BCLA
- Todd Mundle, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, current President, BCLA
- Tracey Therrien, Nelson Public Library, Incoming President, BCLA
We acknowledge this work benefits BCLA as an organization and requires the time, labour, and effort of IBPOC people. BCLA, The Commons Consulting, and the PAG commit to practicing reciprocal accountability by reporting back to members on the results of this survey. This is only the first phase of a multi-phase and multi-year journey towards anti-racism and greater justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity within the organization.
Cultural & Systemic Context
Racism is an integral part of all Canadian institutions, and libraries are no exception. The existence of racism pre-dates colonialism where ideas of human dominance and white supremacy served as justification for enslavement, genocide, displacement, and theft of land, resources, culture, and identity. Today our institutions are largely informed by a history that centers whiteness as the norm. Policies, processes, practices, and cultures that are part of our everyday lives continue to perpetuate ideals of assimilation, white superiority, and othering that contributes to a cycle of violence and harm upon IBPOC.
Effective anti-racist change begins with an understanding that our institutions are built upon a foundation of white supremacy and colonization. Although short-term changes can begin with revisions of policies, practices, and structures, long-term lasting change requires accountability, truth-telling, and relinquishing of defensive behaviours, while centering the IBPOC voices in the organizational change process.
Activist, facilitator, and anti-racist co-conspirator Tema Okun explains that anti-racism work must occur at 3 levels: personal/interpersonal (how we are with ourselves and each other); institutional (policies, procedures, practices); and cultural (beliefs, values, norms).
This report and this ongoing work is guided by principles of anti-racism including:
- Identifying and examining racism on a systemic, cultural, individual, and institutional level,
- Challenging underlying and normalized belief systems that uphold racism,
- Encouraging direct action on individual and collective levels,
- Developing an action plan to actively redress racism within an organization.
1.0 Background and Purpose
1.0 Background and Purpose
Between March 2022 and June 2023, BC Library Association (BCLA) participated in the first phase of its journey to become an anti-racist organization. This work is a direct result of advocacy and efforts from Indigenous, Black and people of colour who have and continue to invest significant levels of time and energy to addressing racism in the library and broader community. BCLA has made mistakes and this current state assessment seeks to specifically identify areas of concern and map out future directions for repair as reflected in a statement released by the the BCLA Board of Directors on October 6, 2021.
A key deliverable of this first phase was the completion of a current state assessment, which was co-led by a PAG, composed of people from the library sector and The Commons Consulting, an independent group selected to advise and support BCLA work towards their goal of becoming an anti-racist organization. The Commons Consulting is an equity, diversity, and inclusion firm that weaves together strategic and innovative thinking meaningfully with principles of reciprocity, collaboration, humility, and transparency. Adeline Huynh, the principal consultant, and project lead is a queer racialized settler living on unceded xwməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, Səlilwətaɬ lands. She is grateful for the opportunity to support BCLA’s ongoing anti-racism work as she continues her own work to decolonize her practices. Kathleen Yang, a collaborator on the project, is a mostly able-bodied, second/third generation settler of Taishanese, Hakka, Fukien ancestors by way of Jamaica and the Philippines. Her analysis of equity, anti-oppression, and justice is informed by her ancestors, a decade of conscious practice, and an ongoing process of learning and unlearning from those who have been generous enough to share their knowledge and engage in mutual accountability.
The current state assessment involved an internal review of BCLA’s processes and practices to identify systemic racism and barriers to full participation for IBPOC and propose recommendations on how to build more inclusive and equitable practices. The process was guided by promising practices in project and change management, EDI in an association/membership context, and anti-oppressive and decolonial practices, alongside BCLA’s values of inclusion, diversity, social responsibility, and lifelong learning.
1.1 Timeline of Key Activities:
- March 2022 – Project Kick-Off
- June 2022 – PAG open call out
- July 2022 – PAG selection process
- September 2022 to June 2023 – First PAG Meeting
- October/November 2022 – Survey Development
- December 2022 – Survey Launch
- January to April 2023 – Survey Data Analysis
- April 2023 – Member Update and Report Back (conference and via BCLA website)
- Summer 2023 – Final report completed and planning for next steps
This final report is meant to outline BCLA’s current state and provide recommendations to guide the future and ongoing equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism work of BCLA. The report is divided into four sections. First, we outline methodologies used for the current state assessment. Second, we contextualize recommendations and findings with an overview of some of the tensions and limitations of this report. Finally, we will review key findings from the survey and offer recommendations.
We have categorized these recommendations under the area-specific changes:
1. Representation: Listening and Valuing IBPOC perspectives
2. Accountability and Acknowledgement: Taking Action
3. Education and Training
4. BCLA Member Engagement
5. BCLA as a leader: Collaboration, Community, and Partnerships
1.2 Definitions
A full list of definitions of terms referenced in the survey and in this report can be found in the appendix section of this report. Throughout this report, IBPOC respondents refer to respondents who identified themselves as racialized or Indigenous in the survey, while non-IBPOC respondents refer to respondents who identified themselves as not racialized and not Indigenous. Reference to members will often be mentioned in the context of a specific group (i.e., BCLA members, PAG members), in cases without reference to a specific group, members will otherwise refer to members of the BC library sector generally.
Reference is also made to Historically, Persistently, and Systemically Marginalized (HPS) communities. This language is intentionally used to recognize that:
- Canada was created at a time when societal norms privileged and included some groups and disadvantaged and excluded others. In Canada, these disadvantaged groups have been defined as Indigenous people, women, people with disabilities, racialized people, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, which refers to two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual, while + stands for other ways individuals express their gender and sexuality outside heteronormativity and the gender binary. This history includes a legacy of day-to-day barriers that contributed to past, and perpetuate current, inequities which compound over time.
- Our systems, in the form of policies, practices, culture, behaviours, and beliefs continue to maintain these barriers in the ways that they continue to create the institution. It is often not an intentional individual, but rather a systematic effort to discriminate. It is an unconscious, unrecognized practice of doing things as they have always been done (and recreating the historical exclusions) (UBC Equity & Inclusion Office 2023).
1.3 Limitations
We want to recognize the limitations of this current state assessment and report. First, due to resource limitations, The Commons Consulting was unable to engage with members through focus groups, which prevented further analysis of survey responses and may have prevented the identification of additional nuances in member experiences. Additionally, the survey was closed in January 2023, outdating some of the findings. For example, survey responses relating to the BCLA conference may no longer be timely given that the most recent BCLA conference took place after the survey had already closed. The recommendations set out in this report also do not currently have corresponding timelines. However, The Commons Consulting will be working with BCLA to develop a roadmap with anticipated timelines for the implementation of recommendations during the next phase of this work.
Throughout the current state assessment, three additional tensions emerged:
- How to address racism within BCLA and how that intersects with addressing incidents of racism in the sector.
- How to balance recommendations that address both individual and structural forms of racism.
- How to develop recommendations that align with BCLA’s role as a member-based organization and BCLA’s role in leading systemic change while respecting the autonomy of individual libraries.
As a provincial membership-based organization with both institutional and individual memberships, BCLA is in a unique position to bring together leaders in the profession who have the capacity to influence anti-racist change in their organizations. However, BCLA alone cannot achieve the large-scale shifts that are necessary for the sector to address racism, discrimination, and barriers on a systemic level without direct action and cooperation from all libraries in BC. So, BCLA must then have a double focus – both on making changes within their own structures, processes, and people while also strategically nudging forward community-wide changes. This is the source of the tensions identified in the survey responses by those who addressed barriers within BCLA, at their own institutions, and within the BC library community at large. These tensions are also reflected in the themes and the recommendations outlined in section four.
2.0 Methodology
2.0 Methodology
The current state assessment began with identifying members of the BC Library community to form a PAG to lead the work. Members of the PAG were selected through an open call out managed by The Commons Consulting. Expressions of interest were solely reviewed by The Commons Consulting and evaluated on various areas including relevant skills, lived experiences, and connection to BCLA. Geographic location of members was also considered to enhance regional representation. The PAG includes both IBPOC and non-IBPOC members, which was done to align with the understanding that while anti-racism initiatives need to be guided by Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour, people who do not identify as Indigenous, Black or as a Person of Colour need to also be actively engaged in anti-racism initiatives. A complimentary one-year BCLA membership was given to PAG members in recognition of their contributions.
A survey was created in collaboration with the PAG to get a sense of where BCLA is currently situated in their journey to become an anti-racist organization and identify barriers that exist for IBPOC members of the BC library community to help guide future initiatives. The survey design was co-created with the PAG and minutes from these discussions are posted on the BCLA website. The survey assessed the following areas:
- Demographics
- Climate and Culture
- Governance
- Membership
- Future Priorities
This survey consisted of a maximum of 52 questions (inclusive of branching questions), of which 42 were multiple choice, and 10 asked for a written response. The survey was then distributed to the membership through the BCLA listserv. The survey was open from December 5 to January 16, 2023. All members of the BC library sector were invited to participate in the survey. While not all members of the library sector are BCLA members, there was recognition from the BCLA PAG that non-members had valuable insights and should be given an opportunity to participate in the survey. Opening the survey up would give former BCLA members an opportunity to provide context on BCLA’s past activities and give non-members of BCLA an opportunity to provide perspectives from unique positions in the sector. The data was then disaggregated and analyzed with the intention of centering the experiences of IBPOC respondents.
The data was then cross tabulated to identify trends that may exist for respondents who held multiple identities. While 23.6% of respondents were from an Indigenous, Black or Person of Colour, the need for assessments that highlight the experiences of those who are underrepresented in research samples is in alignment with recommendations from the Association of College and Research Libraries (2021, 27).
Following the survey completion, The Commons Consulting presented preliminary findings to the PAG who contextualized the findings, identified points of further inquiry, and co-created the development of two case studies that would illustrate the barriers and challenges experienced by IBPOC library community members. Findings and the case studies were then presented to the BCLA Board of Directors and then to delegates at the 2023 conference. During these presentations, the board and members were asked about interventions to the case studies and this feedback was also used to inform recommendations. A recording of the conference session and copy of the slides were posted on the BCLA website to ensure they were available to those who did not attend the conference.
2.1 Respondent Demographics
- Lower Mainland (92 responses) 47%
- Vancouver Island (56 responses) 29%
- The Rest of BC (Northeast, Kootenays, North Coast, Thompson Okanagan, Cariboo, Nechako Valley) (46 responses) 24%
- IBPOC (45 responses) 23.6%
- Non-IBPOC (137 responses) 71.7%
- Prefer not to Answer (9 responses) 4.7%
- Non-IBPOC and part of an equity-deserving group 38.8%
- Women 74.3%
- Librarians 43.8%
- Library Staff (circulation staff and library technicians) 40.2%
3.0 Actions and Opportunities
3.1 Representation: Listening and Valuing IBPOC perspectives
IBPOC respondents were more evenly distributed across career stages, while non-IBPOC respondents had higher rates of representation at the 6 to 10-year mark and the more than 20 years mark. However, a large portion of IBPOC respondents are less than 5 years into their careers and had less representation in manager and senior management roles, giving non-IBPOC respondents disproportionate access to power and decision-making. The less than 5 year career stage also likely puts IBPOC workers in a state of precarious employment given their lack of seniority in library positions. The majority of IBPOC and non-IBPOC respondents want to see more representation of IBPOC members in positions of power both in BCLA and their local libraries.
Table 3: Responses by Career Stage
31.8% of IBPOC respondents somewhat disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement “BCLA respects the time and representation of Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC) members within the BC library community.” When asked to share why they chose their answer many cited the underrepresentation of IBPOC members within the organization, and a lack of opportunities and initiatives focused on recruiting and engaging IBPOC members for positions within BCLA. In describing initiatives, respondents identified a lack of representation on the BCLA board and instances of IBPOC members having their work co-opted and not receiving credit for their contributions. For example, within BCLA, some respondents felt that while well-intentioned, the outcomes of this current state assessment may not lead to systemic changes within the organization.
While BCLA conference topics from 2021 and 2022 both included some sessions related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, some respondents cited a lack of representation in conference topics and speakers. These sentiments were also shared prior to the 2023 BCLA conference, Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors, where the majority of sessions focused on creating equitable and inclusive spaces in libraries.
In qualitative responses, IBPOC respondents primarily talked about the challenges of leading anti-racism initiatives at their place of employment, which often stemmed from being asked to take on anti-racism work and the emotional labour associated with anti-racism work without adequate resources or compensation. While there was recognition that anti-racism initiatives needed to be guided by IBPOC members, IBPOC respondents felt initiatives were overly reliant on IBPOC members especially when it came to education and tasks that could be undertaken by non-IBPOC members.
Within the library sector, non-IBPOC respondents had expressed the need to listen to IBPOC perspectives, IBPOC respondents recommended specific initiatives that could address systemic change that have yet to be implemented and expressed concern for past initiatives suggested by IBPOC library members that had been rejected. Common examples included changes to classification systems and cataloguing processes at local libraries and the removal of security officers outside of libraries and library events. IBPOC respondents also discussed the challenges of working within an environment that centers one way of knowing, reflecting one of the ways white supremacy has been showing up in library spaces. In centering whiteness, professional credentials acquired from colonial institutions were prioritized over skills and experience, which had prevented the advancement of long-term library staff. In qualitative responses, IBPOC respondents shared stories of being passed over in hiring for positions with high turnover rates, with the position instead going to someone who had a professional credential but had fewer experiential skills required to complete job responsibilities.
Challenges |
Opportunities for BCLA |
| Sector-based | Sector-based |
|
|
| Within BCLA | Within BCLA |
|
|
- Less than 5 years 40.0%
- 6 – 10 years 6.7%
- 11 – 15 years 15.6%
- 16 – 20 years 17.8%
- More than 20 years 15.6%
- Prefer not to answer 4.4%
- Manager 8.9%
- Senior Management 6.7%
- Less than 5 years 17.2%
- 6 – 10 years 26.1%
- 11 – 15 years 13.4%
- 16 – 20 years 11.9%
- More than 20 years 29.1%
- Prefer not to answer 2.2%
- Manager 17.9%
- Senior Management 10.4%
3.2 Accountability and Acknowledgement: Taking Action
The most common situations for witnessing were from witnessing racism from a library community member, at a BCLA event (i.e., conference), or at a BCLA-sponsored space (e.g. committee).
Of the 20.5% of IBPOC respondents who experienced racism
- 37.50% said that they had experienced racism occasionally
- 25% said that they had experienced racism several times
- 50% were 16 – 20 years into their career
- 75% also experience appearance-based discrimination
Themes
The experiences of IBPOC respondents were mixed when asked if BCLA respected the time and representation of IBPOC members. While some recognized that BCLA had been moving in the right direction, some felt that BCLA was not doing enough to address past incidents of racism, current representation issues, and expressed that BCLA’s intentions did not align with current practices. Nearly 50% of IBPOC respondents have experienced or witnessed racism, primarily at a BCLA sponsored space or event. Instances of racism at past BCLA conferences were the most common examples discussed by respondents and were often accompanied with a negative sentiment that nothing was done to address these incidents. 75% of respondents who experienced racism also indicated that they experience appearance-based discrimination. IBPOC respondents were more likely to feel that reporting the incident would not make a difference. However, a substantial portion of all respondents regardless of whether they experienced or witnessed racism said they did not know if BCLA had effective policies in place to address racism.
The majority of non-IBPOC respondents felt they could not provide insight on BCLA’s past and present anti-racism efforts with 59% of non-IBPOC respondents explaining that they were not qualified to answer due to a lack of lived experience as an IBPOC person. These explanations reinforce the experiences of IBPOC respondents who felt they were doing a disproportionate amount of labour on tasks that could have been taken up by non-IBPOC respondents and could potentially lead to members negating their responsibility to address racism. Non-IBPOC respondents were also more likely to express appreciation and congratulation for BCLA’s current anti-racism initiatives, but non-IBPOC respondents who witnessed racism were less likely to know how or who to report to.
While the majority of non-IBPOC respondents expressed the need for greater representation and more initiatives to address racism, many non-IBPOC respondents could not recognize the ways racism and white dominant culture have perpetuated systemic issues and the distinct impacts they have had on IBPOC members. For example, some respondents suggested that anti-racism initiatives should include measures to ensure everyone is treated the same. Although 16% (20) of non-IBPOC respondents strongly agreed that BCLA was currently an inclusive environment for IBPOC members, whereas only one IBPOC respondent shared this answer. Concerningly, a small portion of members, through their responses, denied the existence of racism within BCLA.
Table 8: BCLA Climate and Culture
| Survey Question | Answer | IBPOC | non-IBPOC |
| BCLA is currently a welcoming and inclusive environment for Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC). | I don’t know | 24.4% | 56% |
| BCLA respects the time and representation of Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC) members within the BC library community. | I don’t know | 19.5% | 60.8% |
| Historically, BCLA has been a welcoming and inclusive environment for Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC). | I don’t know | 34.1% | 61.3% |
Lived experience is not required to understand the systemic issues experienced by historically excluded communities and act in a way that interrupts systemic oppression. Mistakes and missteps are inevitable as new relationships are created and the vulnerability associated with taking action, while not without risk, is necessary for trust-building. This tension is described by Davis and Shpuniarksy (2010) in their article Alliances: Re/Envisioning Indigenous-non-Indigenous Relationships within the context of building Indigenous and non-Indigenous solidarity and relationships to resist colonization. They discuss how pain can be experienced by both Indigenous people in the “struggle to confront colonization” and by non-Indigenous people as in the “struggle to look inward in their own role within colonization and confront themselves” (343).
Challenges |
Opportunities for BCLA |
|
|
Answers from IBPOC
- Experienced racism 21.6%
- Witnessed racism 27%
- Had not experienced racism 54.1%
Sources of Racism
- BCLA Board Member 25%
- Library community member 75%
- At a BCLA sponsored space (ex. Committee, Section or Interest Group event) 62.5%
- At a BCLA event (ex. BCLA Conference) 62.5%
Sources of Racism
- BCLA Board Member 20%
- Library community member 50%
- At a BCLA sponsored space (ex. Committee, Section or Interest Group event) 40%
- At a BCLA event (ex. BCLA Conference) 50%
Answers from non-IBPOC
- Witnessed racism 15.3%
- Had not witnessed racism 66.7%
- Not sure if witnessed racism 17.1%
Sources of Racism
- BCLA Board Member 6.7%
- 93.3%
- 6.7%
- 26.7%
3.3 Education and Training
In response to addressing racism in BCLA and in the sector, respondents are looking for more education and training or professional development opportunities that address:
- How to identify and address structural and interpersonal racism
- How to create anti-racism policies and guidelines for practices to address anti-racism
- Training that focuses on building and valuing experiential skills
- Opportunities for developing some bottom up-solutions, initiatives
- How to support IBPOC colleagues
- Improving interpersonal interactions (prevent gaslighting, active listening)
- How to have a generative conflict (open and honest conversations on challenging topics)
- How to obtain board and management support for equity and inclusion initiatives
Emphasis was given towards education and training that would build capacity within local libraries to address racism and provide non-IBPOC members with tangible actions that they could take. Training needs to go beyond theory and support members to apply theories to everyday practices such as collection management, intellectual freedom, supporting workers, and patrons.
However, education and training can only go so far without confronting the deeper structural issues that perpetuate inequalities. Education and training recommendations were also largely discussed in the context of reinforcing white supremacy culture through perfectionism (to avoid making a mistake or conflict), focus on individual responses to racism, and the idea that progress entails bigger or more initiatives. We all have biases and are responsible for our own education to become aware of those biases and change our behaviours.
Challenges |
Opportunities for BCLA |
|
|
3.4 BCLA Member Engagement
Table 9: Respondent Membership Status
When asked to name current BCLA initiatives that support IBPOC members, some respondents mentioned BCLA’s mentorship program and interest groups (Community Led, Multicultural Services). However, most respondents were not able to identify current initiatives and answered the majority of survey questions with “I don’t know.” While a lack of lived experience as a member of the IBPOC community had been cited as an explanation, additional explanations may be found in evaluating the sentiments of members and non-members towards BCLA generally. Finally, the COVID-19 and geographic location of members may be factors that have prevented engagement with BCLA initiatives and programs.
Member respondents were looking for more opportunities to engage with BCLA through relevant programming and services. IBPOC respondents stressed that initiatives need to be evaluated for their impact on Historically, Persistently, and Systemically Marginalized groups, drawing on examples where general initiatives aimed at improving access only benefited privileged groups.
Specifically, the top three areas respondents requested BCLA to prioritize were:
- Mentorship opportunities for staff, Board, and members who identify as Indigenous, Black or Person of Colour.
- Outreach efforts to actively seek to increase the racial and cultural diversity of its members.
- Provide resources and opportunities for learning and meaningful allyship to IBPOC communities.
Table 10: BCLA Priorities
*Respondents were given a list of priorities and asked to rank each one.
| IBPOC Priorities | Non-IBPOC Priorities |
|
|
While most current BCLA members said they strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that BCLA’s communications materials were inclusive and accessible, a higher portion of non-IBPOC respondents strongly agreed that communication materials were inclusive and accessible. However, despite answering that BCLA had inclusive and accessible communication materials, many respondents were not aware of professional development opportunities offered by BCLA other than the conference.
Table 11: BCLA Communication Materials are Inclusive and Accessible
| Answer | IBPOC | Non-IBPOC |
| Strongly Agree | 11.8 % | 30.80% |
| Somewhat Agree | 41.20% | 43.60% |
| Somewhat Disagree | 23.50% | 2.60% |
| Strongly Disagree | 5.90% | 0.00% |
| I don’t know | 17.60% | 23.10% |
Former members (IBPOC and non-IBPOC) listed financial reasons as a primary reason for not renewing membership and said they struggled to see the value of a BCLA membership. While BCLA does offer sliding scale membership, it is unclear whether respondents were aware of sliding scale fees. Former BCLA members who identified as IBPOC felt that BCLA did not represent their values and perceived BCLA as an organization that primarily served management level librarians and cited a lack of initiatives that addressed issues that affected library workers. 50% of former members also somewhat agreed that their racial or cultural identity and lived experiences influenced their decision to not be a member.
Challenges |
Opportunities for BCLA |
|
|
Respondent Membership Status–Non-IBPOC
- Current member of BCLA 51.9%
- Former member of BCLA 17.3%
- Non-member of BCLA but part of the BC Libraries community 27.2%
Respondent Membership Status–IBPOC
- Current member of BCLA 50.0%
- Former member of BCLA 32.5%
- Non-member of BCLA but part of the BC Libraries community 17.5%
3.5 BCLA as a Leader: Collaboration, Community and Partnerships
While the focus of the current state assessment was on BCLA, many respondents utilized the survey as an opportunity to talk about challenges experienced at their respective institutions and several respondents discussed incidents of racism from library patrons. Libraries are struggling with day-to-day challenges and are looking for support. Specifically, respondents are looking for BCLA to lead the creation and circulation of resources including policies, guidelines, and toolkits to support the sector. While there was a sense that respondents could be looking to offset responsibility for taking on actions related to anti-racism, BCLA is well-positioned as a provincial organization to convene and lead cross-coordination within the sector to shape a standard of practice as it has done with the creation of the EDI recruitment toolkit, organizing the annual conference, and hosting community space for members through their online forums. While BCLA would not have the authority to direct libraries to take specific actions, BCLA can continue to provide space for co-creation with libraries interested in taking action and reduce barriers to collaboration within the sector.
In addition to the survey, the consultants engaged with members through a keynote presentation at the 2023 annual BCLA Conference. Throughout conference sessions, presenters and attendees emphasized the importance of partnerships in delivering programming and services due to limited funding, resources, and capacities of libraries. Respondents were interested in sharing resources and practices used to support library workers who have experienced racism. There was also an interest in building a collective understanding of initiatives currently in place at other libraries. Respondents also wanted to know what other libraries were doing to address racism and whether those initiatives were effective, especially around policy.
Challenges |
Opportunities for BCLA |
|
|
4.0 Recommendations
General
BCLA: implementing institutional change
BCLA board and leadership to use the report to create priority actions and an anti-racism “roadmap.”
Continue to allocate resources and a budget to ongoing anti-racism work.
Library Community: influencing sector-wide change
4.1 Representation: Listening and Valuing IBPOC perspectives
BCLA: implementing institutional change
Prioritize implementing recommendations from the EDI Strategies in Recruitment Toolkit.
Review power-sharing models of governance to include IBPOC voices in decision-making spaces.
Increase representation on the BCLA Board, possibly through designated IBPOC positions. Consider including knowledge and commitment to EDI and anti-racism as criteria for joining the Board.
Evaluate BCLA’s current programming to measure their impact on IBPOC members.
Library Community: influencing sector-wide change
Continue to support widely sharing out the EDI Strategies in Recruitment Toolkit and advocate for its inclusion into the recruitment and hiring processes of all libraries.
Prioritize accessible professional development opportunities and resources on EDI to offer to the library community, including ways to attract more diverse staff and move them into management positions. This recommendation must be understood as one that will likely result in incremental change as the current job market is very competitive due to limited sector funding for full time MLIS positions.
4.2 Accountability and Acknowledgement: Taking Action
BCLA: implementing institutional change
Apply an equity lens to all aspects of BCLA intentionally and in an ongoing way, starting with a policy review. To ensure that there are clear policies and processes to address discrimination and harm that all members and participants are aware of. If necessary, provide more clarity regarding interventions and actions that can be taken by BCLA.
Develop a mechanism for anonymous reporting of harmful incidents that occur at BCLA events, including sponsored events organized by a third party.
Library Community: influencing sector-wide change
4.3 Education and Training
BCLA: implementing institutional change
Develop an Anti-Racism action plan that connects education and training to strategic goals and actions.
Develop staff, board, and membership “onboarding” process that includes EDI and anti-racism education components.
Library Community: influencing sector-wide change
Create an EDI and anti-racism “Learning Hub.” The Hub can link to self-paced and accessible programs like Indigenous Canada.
Hub Resources could also include training programs that focus on identifying and interrupting systemic and institutional racism (i.e. bystander interventions) and building trust.
Develop a toolkit to support library leadership and workers to move from knowledge to action.
Develop a toolkit and/or training for IBPOC self-advocacy and non-IBPOC advocacy and allyship.
4.4 BCLA Member Engagement
BCLA: implementing institutional change
Reduce financial barriers to BCLA membership:
- Create grants for IBPOC library community members to reduce membership financial barriers.
- Create grants for IBPOC to attend conferences.
Increase outreach and communication efforts to the library community and in particular to IBPOC communities.
Create an ongoing anti-racism committee with spots for community members, BCLA board members, and staff to continue to guide BCLA’s anti-racism priorities. Membership can be rotating and time specific.
Develop racial caucusing opportunities.
Library Community: influencing sector-wide change
Reduce financial barriers to BCLA membership:
- Consider ways to incentivize and encourage libraries to pay for membership for IBPOC staff.
Develop sector-based benchmarking tool.
Develop more programming that is directly targeted to IBPOC workers doing frontline work and/or are at the beginning of their careers and serves their needs (the coaching program is a good start).
4.5 BCLA as a Leader: Collaboration, Community and Partnerships
BCLA: implementing institutional change
Library Community: influencing sector-wide change
Lead cross coordination and information sharing activities, such as:
- Coordinate a sector wide environmental scan of EDI and anti-racism initiatives within libraries in BC.
- Initiate a knowledge sharing project for libraries to share and amalgamate EDI. information to reduce IBPOC labour.
- Organize Knowledge Exchange events for libraries to share challenges, opportunities, and successes.
- Create a mechanism for mapping existing EDI initiativesCreate a mechanism to collect statistical information on racist incidents in libraries (see example of Project 1907).
Create a mechanism to collect statistical information on racist incidents in libraries (see example of Project 1907).
5.0 Final Reflections
Author of So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo explains, “you don’t have to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it’s the only way forward.” In a similar fashion, organizations need to acknowledge that all Canadian institutions, including libraries, are rooted in white dominant culture and colonialism. The way forward for organizations, then, is to be committed to end systemic racism and to understand that it is an ongoing effort that requires a strategic plan forward that centres the voices and empowerment of Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC). It is important to acknowledge the ongoing anti-racism work of BCLA in which this report is situated. BCLA has made a pledge to be transparent about this work and to achieve this transparency they have publicly stated that anti-racism is a priority for the organization. Their anti-racism priorities and actions can be followed on their website.
Anti-racism as a guiding principle and building the foundations for an anti-racist organization, and eventually an anti-racist library sector can feel overwhelming. This work is multifaceted, holistic, and complex and must involve all departments, processes, and systems, “expanding as the work gets deeper” (he Path to Becoming an Antiracist Organization. Toolkits for Equity in Scholarly Publishing Project Volunteers 2021, 2). Anti-racism work doesn’t end, and the journey is fluid and ever changing. The journey map below provides a visual representation of how anti-racism work can be broken down into individual and achievable components – this current state analysis being one of these components (keeping in mind that all steps must be repeated and that the work is never truly done). With this project, BCLA has taken the initial steps of assessing where they are, assembling their project team, and listening, learning, and measuring. It is the intention that this report will aid in the planning and implementation stages. We hope that this anti-racism work will continue to be prioritized and well stewarded by leadership at BCLA and taken up by members and member libraries as well.
Table 12: Anti-racist Journey Map for organizations
References
References
Association of College and Research Libraries. (2021). “2021 Environmental Scan.” ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee. Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/publications/whitepapers/EnvironmentalScan2021.pdf
Census of Canadian Academic Librarians. (2019). “2018 Census of Canadian Academic Librarians.” Retrieved from https://capalibrarians.org/statements/census-of-academic-librarians/
Cho, A., Bolefski, A., Tellis, C., Lei, J., & Kumaran, M. (2022). Designing the Diversity of Canadian Libraries: Excerpts from the CARL Inclusion Perspectives Webinar by Racialized Library Colleagues. Partnership, 17(2).
Davis, L., Shpuniasrsky H., (2010). The Spirit of Relationships: What We Have Learned about Indigenous/Non-Indigenous Alliances and Coalitions. In Davis, L. (Ed.), Alliances : re/envisioning Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationship. University of Toronto Press.
Okun, Tema. (2021) White Supremacy Culture, https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/ Accessed 29 June 2023.
Oluo, Ijeoma, (2018). So you want to talk about race. Seal Press.
Volunteers, T. for E. in S. P. P. (2021). The Path to Becoming an Antiracist Organization. Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications, Toolkits for Equity (Antiracism Toolkit for Organizations). https://doi.org/10.21428/77410d6b.26bdb345
Appendixes
Appendix 1: BCLA Current State Assessment Survey Questions
Demographic Information
BCLA Climate and Culture
● I don’t know
Experiencing Racism
BCLA recognizes the historic presence of institutional and interpersonal racism within the organization. All instances of racism are significant and require responsive action. This question seeks to provide nuanced information to the consultants regarding the pervasiveness of racism within the organization.
- Once
- More than once
- Occasionally
- Several times
- Monthly
- Weekly
- Daily
- Other please specify
- Prefer not to answer
◻ Prefer not to answer
Witnessing Racism
The following questions will ask you about your witnessing racism in a BCLA sponsored space.
If answered yes to 21
BCLA recognizes the historic presence of institutional and interpersonal racism within the organization. All instances of racism are significant and require responsive action. This question seeks to provide nuanced information to the consultants regarding the pervasiveness of racism within the organization.
21d. How satisfied were you with the way it was handled?
BCLA Governance
● I don’t know
BCLA Future Priorities
o Sector based benchmarking to examine and quantify systems and their interaction with anti-racism
28. If there is something that you would like BCLA to prioritize that is not listed above, please write it here.
BCLA Membership
Appendix 2: Glossary of Terms
2SLGBTQIA+: An acronym for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual, while + stands for other ways individuals express their gender and sexuality outside heteronormativity and the gender binary.
Ally A person who supports and celebrates equity-seeking groups, interrupts and challenges oppressive remarks and actions of others, and willingly explores biases within themselves.
Anti-racism: The active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.
Appearance-based discrimination refers to the differential treatment of an individual by another based on the physical aspect of someone’s visible body and adornments (i.e. larger bodies, tattooed bodies, hair texture or style, cosmetic disfigurement, anatomical loss, etc.)
Decolonization: The active resistance against colonial powers, and a shifting of power towards political, economic, educational, and cultural independence and power that originate from a colonized nation’s own indigenous culture. This process occurs politically and applies to personal and societal, cultural, political, agricultural, and educational deconstruction of colonial oppression.
Diversity: Differences in the lived experiences and perspectives of people that may include race, ethnicity, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical disability, mental disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, class, and/or socio-economic situations.
Emotional Labour: The process of managing feelings and expressions to fulfil the emotional requirements of work. More specifically, workers are expected to regulate their emotions during interactions with supervisors, managers, and patrons. For many BIPOC individuals, this includes managing feelings and expressions when encountering incidents of racism, white fragility, and microaggressions daily.
Equity: This term refers to achieving parity in policy, process and outcomes for historically and/or currently underrepresented and/or marginalized people and groups while accounting for diversity. It considers power, access, opportunities, treatment, impacts and outcomes, in three main areas:
- Representational Equity: the proportional participation at all levels of an institution;
- Resource equity: the distribution of resources in order to close equity gaps; and
- Equity-mindedness: the demonstration of an awareness of, and willingness to, address equity issues.
EDI or DEI: An abbreviation for diversity, equity and inclusion used frequently in academic institutions and in human resource departments.
EDI/DEI Lens: To put deliberate focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in both the decision-making process and outcomes.
Equity-seeking/Equity-Deserving: Communities that experience significant collective barriers in participating in society. Barriers could include attitudinal, historic, social and environmental barriers based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation and transgender status, etc. Equity-seeking groups are those that identify barriers to equal access, opportunities and resources due to disadvantage and discrimination and actively seek social justice and reparation.
Gender Identity: A person’s internal and psychological sense of themself as man, woman, both, in-between, neither, or another understanding of gender. People who question their gender identity may feel unsure of their gender or that they are not of the same gender they were assigned at birth.
IBPOC: Indigenous, Black and People of Colour.
Inclusion: An active, intentional, and continuous process to address inequities in power and privilege, and build a respectful and diverse community that ensures welcoming spaces and opportunities to flourish for all. Workplace Inclusion is an atmosphere where all employees belong, contribute, and can thrive. Requires deliberate and intentional action.
Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity as they apply to a given individual or group. Intersectional identities create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. (UBC Equity)
Neurodiversity: A concept that regards individuals with differences in brain function and behavioral traits as part of normal variation in the human population. The neurodiversity movement is about uncovering the strengths of neurodiverse individuals and utilizing their talents to increase innovation and productivity of the society as a whole.
Mental Health Wellness: Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
Person with a disability: A person with a disability is someone who has a significant and persistent mobility, sensory, learning, or other physical or mental health impairment, which may be permanent or temporary; experiences functional restrictions or limitations of their ability to perform the range of life’s activities; and/or may experience attitudinal and/or environmental barriers that hamper their full and self-directed participation in life.
Systemic discrimination: Practices or attitudes that have, whether by design or impact, the effect of limiting an individual’s or a group’s right to the opportunities generally available because of attributed rather than actual characteristics. It also refers to a combination of rules or practices that may not seem discriminatory when looked at individually, but together result in discrimination.
Trans Experience: The experience of having your gender identity differ from the sex you were assigned at birth.
Two-Spirit: A contemporary term that refers to the historical and current First Nations people whose individuals’ spirits were a blend of male and female spirits. This term has been reclaimed by some in Native American LGBT communities in order to honor their heritage and provide an alternative to the Western labels of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Traditionally within some Aboriginal communities, two-spirit peoples were considered to be visionaries and healers who fulfilled roles assigned to both sexes and/or other roles reserved only for those who attained the highly-respected status of two-spirit.
Sources of Terms & Concepts
Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre
Black Health Alliance
How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
Me And White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health QMUNITY
Racial Equity Tools
SFU Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) Simmons University Library
UBC Equity & Inclusion Office
University of Washington
For more information & website links please visit: The Commons Consulting.
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