Practicing Social Justice in Libraries: Building Equitable and Inclusive Collections

LILRC 9th Annual Technical Services Open Forum 

This program will consist of a moderated panel discusson on building equitable and inclusive collections in libraries. Panel participants include:

Alyssa Brissett, Diana Moronta, Renae J. Watson, Khaleedah Thomas, and Kristine Nowak, editors of and contributors to Practicing Social Justice in Libraries (Routledge, 2022).

Presented by: 

Alyssa Brissett (she/her) is the Head of Reference at New York University libraries. Her research interests include critical library practice, organizational change and culture, and social justice in libraries. She graduated with her MLIS from Wayne State University and has a Master of Arts in childhood education from New York University. She is co-editor with Diana Moronta of Practicing Social Justice in Libraries (2022) which provides practical strategies, tools, reflections, and programming by practicing librarians for librarians looking to incorporate social justice practices into their everyday work.

Diana Moronta (she/her/ella) is the Instruction and Technology Librarian at New York Institute of Technology-Manhattan Library. She supports instruction, research, reference, outreach, and open educational resources. She earned her MSLIS from Pratt Institute and her BA from Hunter College, City University of New York. Her research interests are critical information literacy, anti-racist pedagogy, and open educational resources as a social justice tool. Through her praxis, Diana cares to implement social justice components within instruction services to create learning spaces that are inclusive and accessible. She is co-editor with Alyssa Brissett of Practicing Social Justice in Libraries (2022) which provides practical strategies, tools, reflections, and programming by practicing librarians for librarians looking to incorporate social justice practices into their everyday work. 

Khaleedah Thomas (she/her) is the Copyright & Scholarly Communication Librarian and assistant professor at Colorado State University. She holds an M.L.I.S. in Library and Information Science, and an M.S. in Justice Studies from San Jose State University. She is co-author of "Adhocking It: Overcoming the Overwhelm to Start Creating Equitable and Inclusive Collections Now" in Practicing Social Justice in Libraries (2022). 

Renae Watson (she/her) is the Online Learning and Student Success Librarian and an assistant professor at Colorado State University. She holds an M.S.Ed. in Learning Design and Technology, an M.S.L.S. in Library and Information Science, and an M.A. in English. She is co-author of "Adhocking It: Overcoming the Overwhelm to Start Creating Equitable and Inclusive Collections Now" in Practicing Social Justice in Libraries (2022).

Kristine Nowak (she/her) is a librarian and associate professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. She focuses on first-year instruction and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the library space. She received her MLIS from University of Kentucky in 2011. She is co-author of "Adhocking It: Overcoming the Overwhelm to Start Creating Equitable and Inclusive Collections Now" in Practicing Social Justice in Libraries (2022).

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