Save the Date — Daylong diversity retreat: all welcome!

By: Lana  Munip

The Diversity Committee, in collaboration with the Library Faculty Organization, will hold a one-day retreat at University Park for library employees on April 16, 2018. All employees are invited, and the administration has approved travel funding for campus employees. Registration
will open in March, so keep an eye out for more announcements in the coming weeks!

The first half of the day will be filled with training programs related to civility, rankism, and bias. Among the offerings will be “Speak Up!,” which examines work-related interpersonal conflict scenarios. Participants, in small groups, will work through scenarios to develop collective responses. This program is adapted from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Speak Up!
Responding to Everyday Bigotry.”

Linda Klimczyk, chair of the Strategic Action Item on “Professional Development in Diversity,” will lead “Community Dialogue: Rankism here? Where? Who?” This facilitated discussion invites participants to share their perspectives on various aspects of rankism in the University Libraries. In addition, the morning sessions will include a speed networking event and bias reporting training.

The afternoon sessions will be held in Foster Auditorium, and are open to all employees, not only those participating in the retreat. Lightning Talks on diversity research, programming, and personal experiences related to diversity at work will be presented by library staff and faculty. (A call will go out soon for presenters – stay tuned.) This will be followed by the LFO Colloquium, a panel presentation featuring Jody Gray, director of the ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services, Charlene Maxey-Harris, associate professor and chair of the Research and Instructional Services Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, and Jeff Witt,
Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, University of Michigan Library. The afternoon sessions will be available on MediaSite Live. A post-presentation discussion and reception will round out the afternoon program.

For more information on the retreat, please contact Lana Munip (lana@psu.edu). For more information on the LFO panel presentation and speakers, please contact Val Lynn (vag3@psu.edu).