Cognotes 2019 Annual Conference Highlights - 19

19

COGNOTES

HIGHLIGHTS

ALAANNUAL.ORG/MOBILE-APP|#ALAAC19

Challenges and Solutions for Library Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives
By Michelle Kowalsky, Rowan University, NJ

ACRL President Lauren Pressley (left) and speaker Angela Spranger.

Organizational change theories from business disciplines may be able to help librarians identify problems and offer solutions
when well-intentioned initiatives falter and
fail. Angela Spranger, PhD, featured speaker
at the ACRL President's Program on June 22,
addressed a capacity crowd to explain ways to
prevent and rescue failed diversity initiatives.
"Make sure leadership is getting challenged regularly," Spranger explained, "and
if you are the leader, challenge others about
the individual behaviors they are displaying
that are problematic." Specifically, she urged
supervisors to provide more direction on
the types of inclusive behaviors they expect
employees to display.
Librarians learned how to identify implicit
and unconscious bias in hiring and retaining
staff, as well as how to counter unproductive
"groupthink," and were encouraged to influence others to eliminate specific terms which
make their libraries an uncomfortable place to
learn and work. Spranger encouraged attendees
to point out and request elimination of bias in

seeking to maintain the status quo, since the
tendency to just "go along" with previous decisions creates a cycle or structure of implicit bias.
Spranger suggested that a reliable solution is to consistently "use your power and
influence for good," especially since many
workplace behaviors are driven by managers.   When pointing out uncomfortable
behaviors, "Be merciful with ourselves and
with each other," she stated, since faux pas
will occur, but people need to know why. If
employees evolve our problem solving and
apply the useful lessons heard from stories
and news to our own workplace, many new
ideas can grow from improvements to our
shared experiences.
As a former HR professional and current
college of business faculty member at Christopher Newport University, Spranger studies
workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion
issues which affect everyone, including those
who stay in a job where antisocial behaviors
or negative organizational symptoms persist.
Her talk was followed by a signing of her book
Why People Stay: Helping Your Employees Feel
Seen, Safe, and Valued (Routledge, 2018).

Incorporating Mindfulness into Instruction
By Michelle Kowalsky, Rowan University, NJ

Librarians from all types of libraries
received guidance in mindful meditation and then shared ideas for how to
incorporate these practices into instruction during the LIRT Division program
on June 22.
"Phase out the distractions in your
mind that are not meditation targets,"
explained Ven. Sagarananda Tien from
the U.S. Zen Institute in Germantown,
Md., as he talked librarians through their
experience of a 15-minute focused mindfulness session. He provided directions
to novices and experienced meditators

alike, helping them to take and count long
breaths to refocus energy on relaxation, and
to acknowledge distracting thoughts by just
observing them and not judging themselves
or rushing through the calming exercise. He
used a chi bell to signal the relative start and
ending of the training.
Librarian Amy Laughlin of the Ferguson
Library (Stamford, Conn.) described her
mindfulness initiatives with young patrons
at her public library's children's room. Her
use of familiar songs to redirect attention,
and Hoberman spheres to help pace deep
breathing, help students to acknowledge their
emotions and relax even in stimulating environments. "Practice naturally means that there

Thank you!

will sometimes be failure," Laughlin explained.
"But offering opportunities to students to
meditate are useful ways to help them get their
minds back to the learning activity at hand."
Hand-drawn labyrinths, gratitude practices and journaling, and purposeful, mindful
physical movement were noted as effective
activities by librarian Zaiga Alksnitis of
Middlesex School Library (Concord, Mass.)
Even in a setting where mindfulness is incorporated into the curriculum and student
services, the library doesn't have to provide additional or competing programs. "I constantly
try to think of ways in which my library can
manifest mindfulness, or how I can personally
model these values," said Alksnitis.

The essence of a yoga class is similar
- a one-time library instruction session,
explained librarian Jill Luedke from the
Art & Architecture Library at Temple
University (Philadelphia, Penn.) "You have
about an hour to communicate important
content, give feedback on performance,
and build new skills," she stated. The
speakers recommended inviting students
to partake in calming activities, but not
requiring them, and using breathing exercises to help reduce anxiety and improve
working memory. "Since students will not
learn as much if they are inflexible, restless,
or distracted," Luedke suggested, "why not
help them learn?"

DC Public Library

Library of Congress

Linnea Hegarty, Director of Strategic Partnerships

Jarrod MacNeil, Director, Signature Programs

Gabriela Schneider, Director of Communications

Michelle Spezzacatena, Special Assistant

District of Columbia Library
Association

Maryland Library Association

ALA wishes to thank
the countless
members throughout
the local Washington,
DC area who worked

Nicholas Alexander Brown, Director of
Special Productions & Initiatives, Washington
Performing Arts, President DCLA

i n s u p p o rt o f c r e a t i n g

Nation of Makers
Dorothy Jones-Davis, Executive Director

the many activities

Delaware Library Association

at the Annual

Sarah Katz, President

Smithsonian Institution
Erin Rushing, Outreach Manager

Conference.

«« «

Margaret Carty, Executive Director

Federation of Friends of DC
Public Library

Virginia Library Association

Susan B. Haight, President

Lisa R. Varga, Executive Director
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Cognotes 2019 Annual Conference Highlights

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