Competency Description and Scope:

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted various economic and social activities online, and for others, the internet has become an increasingly vital connection to individuals they care about and the things they need. Libraries are at the forefront of ensuring that all members of the community have access to information and appropriate learning environments, but librarians must remain diligent in their pursuit of the most up-to-date collections, programs, and services. For the sake of this competence, I will highlight the importance of three terms: diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Diversity: All community members, regardless of background, identity, or experience, are actively welcomed and supported (as defined by gender, socioeconomic class, political perspective, age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, ability, regional origin, nationality, occupation, language, and the intersection of these factors, among others).

Equity: The condition of being addressed within a manner that is fair and unbiased.

Inclusion: A dedication to develop and preserve a diverse environment where all people flourish, feel respected, and achieve personal and professional success. Giving everyone the equal opportunity to actively engage in developing an atmosphere and culture where everyone fits, feels welcomed, and has importance.

Since it was around the time the pandemic started that I enrolled at San Jose State University (SJSU) and learned how the crisis was affecting library operations, people, programs, and services—including the digital divide—I have focused on these three terms that I felt was the most affected and wanted to be included on the DEI movement. Working remotely, I was able to follow the ALA's daily update to see how they were working to bring communities together and find out about the latest tools available to help library staff members cope with the economic recovery. Moreover, my ongoing projects at work are directly related to DEI. To continue my growth in DEI, the dean of learning resources at El Camino College (ECC) has tasked a team consisting of myself and two other staff members with analyzing the college's current LLR rules and processes and reorganizing them to eliminate any possible inequalities.

Importance to the Profession:

When it comes to reaching out to their community, many marginalized members first turn to their local library because of its reputation as a safe and welcoming place. For those who come from difficult households, libraries may be a place of refuge where they can study in peace, interact with others, and make contact with advocates for victims of crime without fear of retaliation. In fact, many libraries now provide programs that are designed with vulnerable citizens in mind. The Pew Research Center (PRC) found that low-income broadband consumers were disproportionately affected by the high cost of service and reliability issues. Similarly, the extent to which Americans turned to technology during the epidemic is correlated with their degree of formal education. Another issue I noticed were that some websites are not accessible to persons with disabilities. According to another study by PRC, people with disabilities may require help doing research, using devices, gaining access to the front entrance or locating a specific item (2020).

As a result of these insights gained from DEI, libraries and library employees notice and start to increase diversity and inclusion by enhancing their services and collecting and way of distributing materials. In essence, libraries and library staff should aim to improve policies and content based on those hard discussions and observations, and aim to fill in the gaps to be as varied and inclusive as possible. Furthermore, libraries provide all visitors with access to instructional materials. This is particularly helpful for guests who are experiencing language problems, economic hardship, or cultural isolation. According to ALA (2017) libraries "can and should play a critical role in enabling diverse communities for full engagement."

Digital Divide

Despite the continued drive for diversity and an increasing number of measures to expand it, only 67% of low-income families have access to a computer, and just 51.7% have access to the internet. This has a huge impact on education, where an internet connection was and still is more important than ever during the US shutdown. According to a research released in June 2020 by Common Sense Media and the Boston Consulting Group, more than 50 million public school pupils were learning remotely during the epidemic, but nine million of them lacked the requisite equipment or internet access. The COVID-19 epidemic highlighted the critical nature of these services. As a response, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 included $7 billion in financing for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which provides money for internet equipment and services to schools and libraries. I was still working at Orange County Public Library (OCPL) at the time, and the money was spent on 3-week checkout hotspots, laptops, and the mobile library with wifi in an effort to stay connected to the community throughout the closure and when it reopened. Money was also spent on expanding hotspots, computers, and calculators for students and educators to check out for a whole semester at my present employment at ECC library. As a result, in addition to conventional information resources such as books, audio, video, and multilingual resources, individuals depend entirely or partially on libraries to offer internet access (Horrigan & Duggan, 2017). (Mcclain et al, 2021). There are some people who can only access the internet for free and without the expectation of having to pay in public places like libraries. (Hong, 2016).

Librarians will continue to serve as not just information officers, but also as a link between citizens, their community, and their government in the future. Today, I believe that three of our most important indices of quality of life—our educational system, the economy, and health care—are all reliant on online resources and is why the ALA voted to declare access to broadband a human right (2021).

Policies with Barriers

According to the policy statement of the ALA, “It is crucial that libraries recognize their role in enabling poor people to participate fully in a democratic society, by utilizing a wide variety of available resources and strategies.” Many libraries collaborate with shelters and housing facilities to promote their services to the homeless, who are often hindered from accessing these materials due to physical barriers and social exclusion. Healthcare, housing (mortgage/rent), employment (job) placement, and welfare (benefits) programs tend to be very helpful.

Rarely do libraries design services with the intention of excluding certain patron groups, but exclusion is frequently the unfortunate result of failing to account for the diverse needs and circumstances of the entire community. Jennifer Vinopal (2016), associate dean for distinctive collections and digital programs at The Ohio State University Libraries, builds on DEI by stating professional development should include a plan to go "from awareness to action." Some examples include libraries that charge to place a hold on materials, despite the fact that placing a hold is often the only way to gain access to best-sellers or unpaid library fines can prevent students from registering for classes or applying for graduation at academic institutions. Librarians contribute significantly to closing achievement inequalities caused by socioeconomic status. "At the same time, we fight that by charging our users fines and fees," Dawn Wacek, youth services manager at La Crosse (Wis.) Public Library, stated in her February 2018 TEDx talk, "A Librarian's Case Against Overdue Book Fines." In the same way that Wacek evaluated the issue and its effects, libraries must review if their policies and procedures disproportionately affect underprivileged parts of the community. Through the epidemic, I saw that prior policies had numerous flaws, which I intend to address by adopting a DEI attitude.

Inaccessibility for the Impaired

Accessibility, as defined for the sake of this competence and my preceding courses, is the configuration of resources (e.g., goods, services, transportation, and settings) to enable their use by individuals with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides its own definition of accessibility, emphasizing the need of making facilities accessible to individuals with disabilities or of making such facilities accessible to people using assistive technologies. It's important to highlight, however, that advancements in accessibility research and development benefit society as a whole (Blackwell, 2017). There is often a general lack of understanding on the part of library personnel regarding the special needs and interests of users with disabilities and sometimes it is an unintentional barrier to accessibility. Oud (2019) found that many of them lacked understanding of accessibility concerns. In order to accommodate people with a wide range of needs, it's crucial to first have an understanding of the many impairments that exist. Librarians will be able to offer inclusion and assist those with disabilities if they are aware of the different requirements of the patrons they serve.

Preparation to Understand Competency C

Participating in DEI activities had become second nature to me as I progressed in the library environment. I talk about how my interest in DEI was sparked by a study project on the digital divide. One of the assignments I provide is on the topic of invisible barriers that individuals with disabilities or impairments face. Finally, as I previously stated, I am a member of the LLR IMPACT team at ECC, which will redesign policies to enhance and reduce barriers. The key policy change for the project I shared was on study space reservation, which hindered individual study as only groups were permitted in. We all saw a rise in the demand for a closed environment for exam-taking, zoom sessions with tutors or counselors, self-study, or large research.

The library mission extends beyond the walls of their buildings, into the environment of their community, and into people's lives. Librarians also play a vital role in assisting citizens in navigating the technology to connect to social services, which is more necessary than ever. As a result, new strategies to improve access must concentrate on better reaching minority populations in the future, especially as libraries increasingly see themselves as community-wide services rather than physical destinations.