Date
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Session Type
General: 60 min
Name
Diversifying collections with authentic and inclusive collection development strategies
Description

Library leaders—across institutions of sizes, types, and locations—are prioritizing collection diversity to authentically represent missing voices and perspectives. For some, it can be difficult to know where to start or how to allocate resources. This session will demonstrate how institutions are moving forward to build and sustain diverse print collections. The session will be grounded in recent research and insights from practice and will cover emerging tactics such as: • Building reparative relationships with book dealers and book sellers as a collection building practice • Developing non-extractive relationships with community experts to identify gaps • Creating a collection diversity strategy • Benchmarking against peers in specific areas • Using collection analytics including subject headings to guide collecting activities Participants will engage by • Anonymously identifying where they are as individuals / institutions on a continuum of engagement around diversifying collections • Having an opportunity for small table discussions with others about the tactics named above • Making a personal commitment for a next step they will take as an outcome of this session No matter where you are on your journey to improve the diversity of your library’s collections, this session will provide real, actionable advice and insights for creating a collection roadmap reflecting a diversity of people and authentically serving information needs for all library users.

Track
Collections