The following is a statement from the Dean and senior
administrative team of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries to its
employees.
Dear colleagues,
We are sad and angry about
George Floyd's death last week at the hands of a member of the Minneapolis
Police Department. Our communities, outraged at this unconscionable act of
brutality, have responded, expressing their anguish in numerous ways, including
many forms of peaceful protest. Sadly, as you know, there have also been
significant outbreaks of violence.
In Lincoln, over the last week,
swastikas have been painted in Wilderness Park, in a place of retreat and
refuge for many during pandemic restrictions, reminding us of the virulent
presence of supremacist thinking, actions, and systems. During a 2018
rally, UNL faculty, students, and staff gathered to support "Hate
Will Never Win" in our community and we must remember to continue to
uphold that commitment now. With events like these, which have happened too
often and all across the country, we are reminded how much work there is left
to do to dismantle the systemic injustices of our society. This obligation falls
heaviest on those of us who have not lived the experience that Indigenous
peoples, communities of color, and religious and ethnic minoritized communities
have. This is and will be hard, challenging work, but it is critical that we
engage in it.
We believe that libraries, and
all of the people who work in them, are an essential part of the solution to
creating a more just and equitable society. Although we are not without flaws,
and must grapple with our own failings and examples of systemic racism, at its
best our profession rests on bedrock principles of inclusion and information
justice. These principles must guide us now.
We are engaged in a strategic
planning process that gives us an important opportunity to reflect and to
direct our energy and our financial resources, in whatever ways that we can, to
create lasting change. We will be looking for opportunities to accelerate
and amplify this work, and we invite our entire organization to bring your
ideas and your energy to it. We also challenge all of us individually and
collectively to examine all of our information work through a lens of equity
and justice, asking ourselves:
- How does this activity contribute to equity
and justice?
- Where does this activity stand in the way or present barriers to
equity and justice?
- How do we carry this work forward, not only following major
events, but every person, every day, persistently?
Individually, we can
each also ask similar questions:
- How can I contribute to equity and
justice?
- How can I have a conversation about these issues to hear others'
perspectives?
- What can I do to help?
It will take the effort of
every one of us to make real and lasting change, and we are deeply committed to
our collective work towards this important goal.
UNL Libraries Dean's Cabinet:
- Liz Lorang, Interim Associate
Dean
- Charlene Maxey-Harris, Interim
Associate Dean and Interim Chair, Discovery & Resource Management
- Deb Pearson, Interim Chair of
Access Services and Head, Libraries Facilities and Planning
- Kay Richter, Business Officer
and Chief Operating Officer
- Claire Stewart, Dean of
Libraries
- Kay Walter, Chair, Digital
Initiatives and Special Collections
