Toward Inclusive Excellence Podcast

Toward Inclusive Excellence‘s latest podcast episode features another “In Dialogue” session, which brings together prominent scholars, library leaders, and higher education stakeholders to discuss a timely topic. In time for the end of their tenures, ALA’s 2022-23 President Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada and ACRL’s 2022-23 President Erin L. Ellis sit down with Toward Inclusive Excellence editor-in-chief Alexia Hudson-Ward to discuss the associations’ challenges and successes of the past year. Lessa and Erin detail how each organization worked to address the surge in book bans and attacks on librarianship affecting both public and academic libraries. Further, the guests underscore the strength and power of the library community, highlighting how support can come in many forms, whether through direct advocacy or behind-the-scenes encouragement. In addition, Lessa and Erin explain the importance of self-care as leaders and library workers, and share their own perspectives on the continuous lack of compositional diversity in librarianship—and what can be done to dispel toxic workplace culture and to advance inclusive practices and pipelines. This enlightening discussion brings together library leaders to explore the issues affecting libraries today, and the overlap and community found between the academic and public library spaces.

Episode theme music: Black is the Night by Jeris (c) copyright 2014 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. Ft: DJ Vadim (djvadim), NiGiD