Editorial: “Yes, We are […] actively working against racism”

Citation

Watstein, S.B. and Johns, E.M. (2022), "Editorial: “Yes, We are […] actively working against racism”", Reference Services Review, Vol. 50 No. 1, p. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-02-2022-111

Many of our colleagues and peers in higher education have taken a stand against racism in their organizations and institutions in the last few years. Today, we appreciate that there is a difference between taking a stand against racism and actively working against racism in our organizations and institutions. Contributors to this issue of Reference Services Review invite readers to a close-up of how they are actively working against racism, providing an intimate view or critical examination of the issues. Articles serve as calls to reflection, action, and further research. As editors, we suggest that readers will not only learn from the experiences and reflections from our authors but become inspired to act in their own institutions using an anti-racist lens.

Curating this special issue involved working with Guest Editors Jim Hahn, the Head of Metadata Research at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries and Mark Anthony Puente, the Associate Dean for Organizational Development, Inclusion and Diversity at Purdue University Libraries and the School of Information Studies to develop and distribute a call for proposals that was bold, innovative, and inclusive. Curation also involved assessing proposals, facilitating the double-blind peer review process, making editorial decisions, and meeting the goals and objectives of the journal.

Library and information science as a field is the focus of several of our authors. Jennings and Kinzer frame systemic change as anti-racist action in LIS and invite readers to do the same. Winn and colleagues from the University of Southern California reflect on the process of situating LIS pedagogy and curriculum in diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism. Jones and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analyze anti-racism, equity, inclusion and social justice initiatives in library and information science literature.

Libraries and organizational change are the focus of other authors. Vong discusses racial capitalism and its impact on academic librarians and libraries. Figueroa and Shawgo explore the creation of anti-racist action out of education in an academic library. Moreno considers libraries as locations of carceral care. Bocko, Guth, and Broadnax review student calls for change and implications for anti-racist initiatives in academic libraries.

Other authors invite readers to consider culture and cultural change from different angles. García Mazari proposes pathways for radical reflection and the unlearning of White supremacy culture. Hands considers belonging and hospitality in the context of decentering whiteness in the “new normal.” Shearer and Chiewphasa explore the challenges of centering a BIPOC library workforce in an asset-based autoethnography.

These manuscripts align with RSR's track record of special issues that promote and advance the discussion of the intersection of library work and social, cultural and economic challenges in our communities. The journal's editors and editorial team intend that this special issue is a living document. We look forward to continuing this conversation with our readers and to including more articles on anti-racist activities in libraries in future issues.