UI Libraries anti-racism guide RESOURCES FOR CRUCIAL, ONGOING WORK BY RITA SOENKSEN, ENGLISH & AMERICAN LITERATURE LIBRARIAN
I
f there can be a silver lining to the tumultuous year of 2020 (and I hope there is!), it would be the awakening of America to the racial inequities of its past and present. This realization has not come easily—people lost their lives needlessly or were seriously injured, and friendships and family ties remain strained. Recognizing past and current harms of racism is a charged topic, but it is difficult work we must do. As part of a public institution of higher education, the University of Iowa Libraries holds a responsibility to provide resources that examine injustice and amplify the voices of those who have been consistently marginalized. On June 1, 2020, the Libraries issued a statement, In Support of Eliminating Racism, which reminds us, “We are a research library planted in the heartland, and we are not immune to racism. We are not free of the responsibility to stop it.”
Rita Soenksen
One of the tools that assists with this work is an anti-racism guide developed by UI Librarians.
Meaningful change begins within each of us, so this guide is open and accessible to all. With over 3,700 views since its creation this summer, the guide has the potential to reach many within the Iowa community and beyond. Typically, users need an institutional login to gain access to the licensed resources contained within a guide. But because the need for understanding and action around anti-racism reaches beyond those with university IDs, the UI Libraries has made an intentional effort to include articles and links in the guide that do not require such authentication. For those without a UI login, book links in the guide provide information to help them locate the items at their preferred library or retailer. 32
WINTER 2021
