Established in the summer of 2016, the University of Arizona Libraries’ Diversity, Social Justice and Equity Council (DSJEC) is charged with developing a sustainable and holistic approach to advancing diversity and inclusion for the Libraries through internal programming and assessment, advisement to leadership, and campus and community outreach. The Council, comprised of 12 faculty and staff from across the Libraries, also strives to ensure that we offer a supportive environment for our users, where different social identities are embraced. 

There has been keen interest in diversity at the Libraries since at least the early 1990’s, and it was recently reaffirmed as one of the Libraries' five core values. We are proud to have recently reaffirmed our collective commitment. Within the Libraries, diversity is both an organizational and a service imperative, and by its very nature, the Libraries embody the concept of diversity. Intellectual freedom and access to information—the keystones of librarianship—are the foundation for our acceptance of the full spectrum of ideas and perspectives. Read our organization's full diversity statement.

Libraries’ Dean Karen Williams says: “We are enthusiastic about the potential of Council – we’ve assembled a great team that is bringing new excitement and direction to the Libraries’ diversity and inclusion efforts.  We are especially excited by the many opportunities to connect with others on campus that are also contributing to advancing diversity.  We are looking to our Council to help provide leadership in making those essential connections.”

DSJEC is currently planning a spring launch event with Dr. Brenda Allen, Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Allen is the author of the influential book, Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity, and gives presentations and workshops on topics such as inclusion in the workplace, strategic planning, unconscious bias, and diversity hiring practices.

For more information regarding the Council, email lbry-dsjec@distribution.arizona.edu.