Save the Date: Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race

Guest post submitted by Wisconsin Libraries Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Action Team

How can you better position your library, the heart of your community, as a place where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are celebrated?

In a 2020 survey, library workers statewide (and from libraries of all sizes) identified “the ability to communicate about topics related to race” as one skill they needed to better lead DEI efforts big and small in their libraries and communities.

The IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity in Action) Team invites public library staff from throughout Wisconsin to participate in the 2022 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)-funded project, Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race. This project is a continuing education series for Wisconsin library staff members interested in devoting more time to learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion and ways to bring DEI to their libraries and communities.

There are three ways to participate, based on your learning style and schedule in 2022:

1. Group education
   Participate in one, two, or three one-hour webinars delivered once “live” virtually and recorded for later playback.
   February 15th, 10 a.m. - Let's Talk About Race At Work [Register HERE]
   March 9th, 10 a.m. - Engaging in Sensitive Conversations & Handling Pushback [Register HERE]
   April 14th, 1 p.m. - Understanding Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter in Majority White Spaces [Register HERE]
2. Group discussion
   Explore the content of each webinar in online discussions made up of no more than 10 participants from across the state. Sessions will be offered virtually to allow for maximum accessibility and will be facilitated by trained library staff facilitators. Dates are forthcoming in 2022.
3. Independent study and exploration
   Independently explore the content provided in each Webinar, with materials provided by the People Company. Prompts will be provided for participants, in order to practice essential competencies explored in the webinars. Materials will be accessible through the Wisconsin IDEA Team, and are forthcoming in 2022.

For questions, updates, or to contact an IDEA Team member, please visit the Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race website, https://www.wislibidea.com.

This project was coordinated by the Wisconsin IDEA Team and made possible by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction (DPI) Public Library Development Team, with funding support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.