Assessing Academic Library Collections for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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Description

This book provides a practical, step-by-step approach to designing and implementing evaluation projects targeting a variety of DEI goals in academic library collections.

Offering both flexibility and detailed guidance, Assessing Academic Library Collections for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion begins with a discussion of aspects of diversity that librarians could target in their assessment projects and notes project planning considerations such as defining a scope and timeline. It particularly notes how larger academic libraries can narrow the scope of a project to make it feasible. Subsequent chapters explain different methods for assessing a collection, with many examples throughout.

Methods include:
- List-checking involves comparing the collection to a list of recommended books.
- Metadata searching produces a count of library holdings that contain certain subject headings or use specific call numbers.
- Diversity coding allows staff to create their own categories and assign them to books in a sample.

All three of these methods can be used to analyze the collection by subject matter. It is possible to use diversity coding to examine author identities as well, a sensitive endeavor for which this book provides both cautions and guidance. A fourth approach focuses on organizational efforts or inputs. This method involves tracking and reflecting on the librarys progress towards goals the staff have set, which could involve a variety of collections-related activities, including staff development, changes to workflows, revising policies, or increasing outreach. The book describes advantages and limitations of the four methods, allowing librarians to make an informed choice of which to use. It also offers resources for implementing each of these strategies as well as guidance on creating ones own evaluation tools. Three chapters by guest authors provide examples of DEI assessment projects from academic libraries. A concluding chapter discusses sharing findings and suggests a range of changes libraries can make to their collecting practices.

Reviews

Assessing Academic Library Collections for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is essential reading for both librarians and social scientists interested in this topic. Its the only recent volume that deals with conceptual issues (such as the relationship between collecting-building goals and broader societal concerns) as well as the nuts and bolts of actually conducting a diversity audit. -- William H. Walters, Executive Director of the Library, Manhattan University
Kohn has crafted an impressive analysis of bringing diversity audits to academic libraries and the complexities of such collections. Offering several examples of how to adapt this work to meet the needs of such libraries, real life examples are used with accessible tools and methods and does not shy away from the challenges therein. -- Sarah Voels, Ph.D, Director of Vogel Library & College Librarian at Wartburg College, Waverly, IA
Assessing Academic Library Collections for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is timely and essential reading. Individual chapters guide libraries in defining goals, setting realistic targets, and choosing appropriate methods for diversifying collections. The included case studies offer clear, replicable guidance for academic libraries, regardless of budget or focus. -- Tracy Bergstrom, Program Manager, Collections and Infrastructure, Ithaka S+R
Assessing library collections for diversity, equity, and inclusion is a nuancedand overwhelmingundertaking. Kohn has done the heavy lifting for us, weaving threads from across the literature into a concise and manageable framework. This comprehensive book offers academic libraries a concrete path forward, regardless of size, scope, or budget. -- Madeline Kelly, Interim Dean of Libraries, Western Washington University

Author Bio

Karen Kohn is Collections Analysis Librarian at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Collections Committee and the Open Education Group. She also teaches Introduction to Collection Analysis through Library Juice Academy and serves on the editorial board of portal: Libraries and the Academy. She is the author of Collection Evaluation in Academic Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015) and has published articles in College & Research Libraries, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Journal of Documentation, Collection Management, and portal.