In the wake of the global pandemic, Black Lives Matter Movement, and 2020 election, it seems like this year has taken us on a bumpy ride. We have seen acts of hate towards Asian Americans, being blamed for the pandemic. We have seen protests nationwide supporting Black Lives Matter for the death of George Floyd in the hands of police. And lastly, we have seen a country divided, fueled my racism and hate, with this years presidential election. How can we ease this tension as a library? What can we do?

Then,

The library has come a long way than what it was in the early 1900's. Back then, librarians guided a child's reading by inevitably fostering the transmission of a racial ideology based on white superiority, privilege, and black subservience (Hand, 2012). Other librarians felt the need to "Americanize" immigrants by introducing them to American values and English reading materials (Stern, 1991)." But slowly, librarians began to take a stand and provide services to immigrants. In the 1960's libraries began to build impressive collections of ethnic materials (Stern, 1991). Furthermore, the Los Angeles County Public Library established four cultural resource centers serving the Asian Pacific, American Indian, Chicano, and Black Community.

What can we do now?

As librarians we need to include books that promote diversity and inclusion. By expanding the library collection, we can create a larger awareness of the diversity in America. Libraries are important information centers that can help eliminate prejudice and promote cultural awareness and understanding. Librarians can also facilitate culturally competent programs to promote diversity and inclusion (Mitra, Rodarte, Estrella, & Terrones, 2020). Diversity includes everyone and including culturally competent programming and a diverse collection can remind everybody that being culturally diverse makes for a stronger and understanding community.