The Necessity of Getting on Board with DEI
“I’m tired of DEI.”
“MLA focuses too much on DEI.”
“I don’t want whiteness to be under-represented.”
These are sentiments that have recently been expressed to me, to other BINPOC (Black, Indigenous, Native, People of Color) medical librarians, and to MLA.
Yet, the long journey of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (plus Justice and Accessibility) work is necessary, and truly it has also only just begun. It’s taking lots of time and effort in order to undo centuries of white supremacy, or whiteness being centered and being the default. Plus, this needs to happen alongside the work of dismantling patriarchal power, eradicating ableism, destroying transphobia and homophobia, annihilating classism, and all the other harmful systems that get in the way of DEI.
MLA launched the DEI Task Force in 2017, which in 2020 graduated to a full MLA committee. These efforts were the result of one of MLA’s official Strategic Goals: “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion objectives included as strategies for all new strategic goals, going forward.” Following MLA’s lead, currently six of the 12 MLA Chapters have DEI committees, and one chapter is investigating forming one. Many other professional organizations have DEI committees. Colleges and universities have centers for diversity and inclusion. Your workplace may have a DEI committee or a DEI employee organization.
All this to say: DEI is here to stay. And in our modern workforce and communities, anyone who is not on board with DEI efforts will soon find themselves rendered obsolete. The younger generations of Gen Y (also known as Millennials) and Gen Z are generally recognized to be more accepting of differences and open to inclusivity. They are also interested in justice issues of all flavors, from environmental to social. The young people of these generations have become and are quickly becoming our coworkers and professional colleagues.
But besides being the right thing to do for our workplaces and society, it’s just common sense to invest in DEI work. Libraries are supported, funded and advocated for by the communities they serve, and goodness knows that libraries need all the supporters we can get nowadays. With the changing demographics over the past few decades, libraries are now without a doubt serving all people more than ever.
Also, it’s good business to invest in DEI. Numerous studies cite the edge that diverse teams have in the workplace and when navigating complex situations. One recent book, The Diversity Bonus, details mathematically and scientifically how having cognitive and identity diversity on teams results in better outcomes and increased innovation when compared to more homogenous teams. These “diversity bonuses” are proven repeatedly with data, controlled experiments, and case studies. With libraries, library organizations and library workers firmly claiming our roles in today’s knowledge-based economy, the possibility of enjoying these diversity bonuses should hold a strong appeal.
There are countless other benefits that result from organizations and individuals putting efforts into DEI work, which as librarians, we can easily research. The time has come when it’s up to each of us to decide when, not if, we will accept and seek out a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, accessible, justice- and bonus-filled world.
References:
Medical Library Association Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Report. Journal of the Medical Library Association, Volume 109, Number 1: 141-153. https://jmla.mlanet.org/ojs/jmla/article/view/1112
MLA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. https://www.mlanet.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1539
MLA Strategic Plan. https://www.mlanet.org/strategy
What Are the Core Characteristics of Generation Z? https://www.aecf.org/blog/what-are-the-core-characteristics-of-generation-z
8 Characteristics of Millennials That Support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). https://www.forbes.com/sites/margueritacheng/2019/06/19/8-characteristics-of-millennials-that-support-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/?sh=735bff4e29b7
The Diversity Bonus: How Great Teams Pay Off in the Knowledge Economy by Scott Page, 2017.