[Michlib-l] New equity and social justice principle added to ALA Code of Ethics

[Anthony Isom]

In the adjustment of policies, library to library, I do believe that study-
or evidence-based policies aid in the process of ensuring a more equitable
public library space. If you'll notice, however, the language used
throughout the ALA Code of Ethics doesn't focus on specifics. Vaguery
abounds. Such is the way with codes. What seems clear to me in the wording
(frank as it seems) of the additional 9th Code is the room to operate
inherent to such vague speech--"to *recognize* and *dismantle*...biases; to
*confront* inequity and oppression; to *enhance* diversity and inclusion;
and to *advance* racial and social justice" et al (emphasis mine) presents
an opportunity for library leadership to dig deeper, to research "studies
or other evidence", in an overall effort to "adjust our policies" that
ought to indeed "list specific behaviors" that will ensure what we're
aiming to do in public libraries. Concrete verbs (recognize, dismantle,
confront, enhance, advance) connote a more serious tone, sure; however, the
"systemic and individual biases" or "inequity and oppression" or "diversity
and inclusion" or "racial and social justice" are extremely vague
adjectives meant to grant us as professionals, regardless of rank or
tenure, the opportunity to ask ourselves the hardest question of all. "How
fair am I?" From there, a wellspring of other such questions will surface
and answers abound--but these answers you can find by seeking them out.

And this is something which we ALL must do! Myself, a queer and black
library worker, included.

*Anthony Isom (they/them/theirs)*
Youth Services Librarian Assistant
Adrian District Library
143 East Maumee Street
Adrian MI 49221
aisom at adrian.lib.mi.us


On Mon, Aug 9, 2021 at 8:04 AM mweston dowagiacdl.org <
mweston at dowagiacdl.org> wrote:

> Hi Anthony,
>
> Thank you for acknowledging the shift in tone with the new code.  Do you
> have studies or other evidence to share showing library behavior policies
> being applied differently to white patrons than black patrons?  If so,
> wouldn't it be more effective to adjust our policies to be less subjective
> and instead list specific behaviors? I am certainly willing to look for
> this evidence, and I appreciate your willingness to discuss.
>
> Thanks,
> Matt Weston
> Dowagiac District Library
>
> Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Anthony Isom <aisom at adrian.lib.mi.us>
> *Sent:* Friday, August 6, 2021 12:48:31 PM
> *To:* mweston dowagiacdl.org <mweston at dowagiacdl.org>
> *Cc:* michlib-l at mcls.org <michlib-l at mcls.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [Michlib-l] New equity and social justice principle added
> to ALA Code of Ethics
>
> Matt,
>
> Your argument about the language use in the Code of Ethics runs rather
> shallow, I'm afraid. Given that a cishet black male patron who misuses
> library policy, or is even perceived as misusing library policy, to the
> degree that library staff considers it "safe" to involve local law
> enforcement will be handled differently than if a cishet white male patron
> misuses library policy to an equal degree, "all library users" aren't
> experiencing the world outside of the library with any sort of equity,
> therefore "the inherent dignity and rights of every person" have been
> violated before the cishet black male person has even sets foot inside the
> library. In other words: the shift in tone is necessary. One cannot use
> easy language or soft tones to rid our public spaces of the sort of
> behavior that creates toxic environments for entire communities of people
> who've been, both in recent and distant history, robbed of their "inherent
> dignity"--inside as well as outside of library spaces. It is important,
> then, that the American Library Association places within their Code of
> Ethics a statement which vows to assert the necessary social uplift of our
> public library spaces, so that staff (such as myself, queer and black) and
> patrons (such as I once was, still queer and still black) may claim more
> fully "the inherent dignity and rights of every person" and actually stand
> equal to "all library users".
>
> *Anthony Isom (they/them/theirs)*
> Youth Services Librarian Assistant
> Adrian District Library
> 143 East Maumee Street
> Adrian MI 49221
> aisom at adrian.lib.mi.us
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 8:03 AM mweston dowagiacdl.org via Michlib-l <
> michlib-l at mcls.org> wrote:
>
> I'd like to support Karyn Ruley's concerns about ALA's most recent
> addition to their Code of Ethics.  Reading through the first eight
> principles, and into the first sentence of the ninth, there is a sense of
> the universal and of the common humanity we share with ourselves and our
> patrons.  "...all library users", "...each library user's rights", and "...the
> inherent dignity and rights of every person", changes dramatically in tone
> with "dismantle systemic and individual biases" and "advance racial and
> social justice".
>
> Absolutely this is worthy of discussion, and this is the place for it.
>
> Matt Weston, Library Director
>
> Dowagiac District Library
>
> 211 Commercial St.
>
> Dowagiac, MI  49047-1728
>
> 269-782-3826
>
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>
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