UT Libraries Diversity Committee Meeting Minutes: Thursday, September 19th 2013, 1:00pm, Room 150

1.   Announcements
Diversity Dialogues: Human Libraries, Nov 5, 2013 at 7pm Multicultural Student Center

2.  Upcoming programs
VolAware Street Fair: Wednesday, October 2, 2013, 10:00-4:30pm
9:30 Set up – Tentative Theme: De-Stress Program
POCs: Michelle and Thura

Race for the Cure Salad Bar/ Raffle Fundraiser Thursday,
October 3, 2013 11:30-1:30pm, 6th Floor Staff Room
Committee Setup at 10:45 and Breakdown 1:30pm
POCs: Sojourna, Megan, and Thura

Social Justice Common Ground Read for Spring 2014
Thura and Allison recently met with new Vice Chancellor of Diversity
Half the Sky, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, was suggested
– other suggestions are welcome

Black Issues Conference Proposal upcoming for Spring
The Committee will continue to check for a call for proposals
Possible proposal: “I hate it when, I would like it if…”

Possible program for Spring collaboration with Employee and Organizational
Development (HR)
POC Sojourna Cunningham

International Festival in April
We are seeking a request for theme suggestion

3. Diversity Committee webpage
Pictures are needed for the page
Cookie Bake off and International Fair pictures (Sojourna)

Web team:
Judy Li
Rabia Gibbs
Seth Jordan (New)
Michelle Brannen (New)
Suggestions for content and linked information are needed

4.  Diversity Committee Annual Report
Thura is currently working on the annual report. Once it is
approved by library administration, it will be shared with the
Diversity Committee and posted on the website.

5.  Diversity Program Evaluation
Explore options for program attendees feedback for the Diversity programs
POCs: Regina and Thura

Look at ways to increase program attendance and improve program marketing
POCs: All Committee members

6. Upcoming meeting dates
October 24, 2013, 1-2pm Room 150
November 21, 2013, 1-2pm Room 150

7. Suggested Agenda Items
Debrief on the Race for the Cure and the VolAware Street Fair outcomes
Discuss progress for upcoming programs

September 19th Attendees:
Megan Venable
Vicki Palmer
Elizabeth Young
Seth Jordan
Sojourna Cunningham
Steve Thomas
Michelle Brannen
Ingrid Ruffin
Thura Mack
Regina Mays

Announcements

JW culture corner is done — it’s small but it is complete

Updates to the Diversity calendar

AR has email Eric Bledsoe, but has not heard back. Will call him.

She uses veterans administration calendar, Kentucky University calendar, and a Pagan calendar from the UK for events and puts them on the calendar in order

It’s set up to show events for the current month – there’s also options to see other months/years

AR will figure out how to convert it into an RSS feed in order to have it feed into the UT calendar

October 16^th LGBT Program update

TM — Hodges, Mary E. Greer room at 1pm, we will host the LGBT speakers

The main program is in the evening so the earlier portion of the day will be filler

Let’s Talk about It program – will last no more than 1 hour including Q and A

Opportunity to work with the LGBT commission AND do a Let’s Talk about It program

Writer’s in the library will have a reception/book signing in the library right before 1pm

RW or someone from the LGBT committee will introduce the speakers And we only need to make sure things are running smoothly

Be sure the room is set up for a powerpoint

authors are involved in a digital initiative, so we’ll be looking at some of their work

Our in-house CMN department will provide publicity to the Beacon, New Sentinel, Radio Station, and around campus

We won’t have to worry about food – writers in the library people will do refreshments. They will provide it, though we may need to help them set up.

Films

Priscilla of the Desert

Brokeback mountain

If these walls could talk

Discussion for November and December projects, including ideas for the next culture corner

November Ideas

Last year native Americans month – co-sponsored with an up and coming group, put on a film series and did a poster campaign.

TB – we should do a poster campaign again

LR – (WHICH GROUP?)students had their first meeting recently and want to have another film series

Also planning Elder’s Day celebration in late October (pow wow drum, dancers, beadwork in the amphitheater – Joyce Dugan is invited to speak

AR could they have a demonstration in November?

If they do smudging?, it must be done outside of the library for fire safety reasons

JW – Consensus for films for native American month again?

TB – We can do something else for our culture corner and still help with the series

We will promote outside of the library – send publicity to departments and organizations that would be interested in such a program

The students in the group can select the films, and we will work with LR on publicity coordination advertised on the Diversity page.

AR – @ TN, Campus CMN, and TN will be notified. The series will be advertised on the Diversity webpage

December ideas

December is Universal Human Rights Month

JW – Disability as a matter of family

3 speakers from the college of Nursing

Talked about mental and/or physical disabilities that people often encounter

Watched a film RE these disabilities and had a discussion (some personal experience was discussed)

12/3 – international day of disabled persons

Disability month is October – do we want to do anything in November?

AM — We should focus on LGBT, save disability for another month or year

JW – JR suggested doing intercultural holidays. We did religions of the world over the summer, could do more. JR also suggested programming on people of Scots and Irish descent

TM – we could do more disability stuff

AM – we could do human rights and cover disabilities as a subset

If we had money, we could bring in leaders in the human rights field

If we don’t, we can bring in a local human rights person (Beverly Watts, TN Human Rights commission)

AM can have her staff attend the programming and is connected with Beverly Watts

Gender issues in the workplace (equal pay) could address this without being overtly political

LR – Offer employees credit for HR – 128 to bolster numbers and promote attendance?

TM – we can probably do this. TM will get forms and look into this possibility

The people that attend can fill out the forms and we can get the forms to the office

We can advertise that it’s for recognized credit (if we can prove that it’s a worthwhile lecture or interactive program)

Will immediate notice to Beverly be enough time for her to be able to do this?

JW – we can schedule her for a different month – we’re not bound by the calendar

AM – Beverly could tell us about some opportunities to talk about some issues we might have missed, punch through any “groupthink” that we might be experiencing

JW – will there be an honorarium (payment for travel, etc for her attendance)?

AM – as a state employee, she might not be able to accept it.

AM – she could be paid to conduct staff training

We will be flexible about dates – we’ll see when she’s available. AM will contact her

TM – We’ll see if it’d be possible for her to attend one of our meetings at 1pm on a Thursday

JW – If that doesn’t work, we can have her come by whenever she can and we will adjust

AM – we could also cover hidden disabilities (hard of hearing, mental, etc)

The disabled students are aware of the accommodations in place. This would be beneficial to librarians and those offering service.

AR – are there any courses that would benefit from attendance?

AM – deafness program, vocational rehab, etc – also someone in her office that teaches HR courses RE hidden disabilities. In house expertise!

JW – Human rights in December, Disabilities in the spring?

Group is in consensus here – focus!

TM – we could have AM’s colleague come in spring, then have a student panel in support of this (so students have a vested interest in attendance)

AM – Disability services, OID, audiology – we’ve got resources on campus, so we could set up a good panel.

AR – April for disabilities? January for the panel (weather notwithstanding)

JW - Kind of far away

TB – if we can’t get Beverly for December, we can do disabilities since we’ve an idea formed…

Culture Corner?

TM – This should reflect some of our programming

We should go by some of the ideas we’ve formed

Culture corners can last multiple months or even a semester

TB – rather than letting the current one stay up for a couple more months, we can change it for human rights and leave it up for a bit – LGBT can fit into this

Next culture corner planning in November, done in December

Other Topics

Jeff French will provide his truck and help with the Trunk or Treat and Angel Tree

Truck or Treat – for people with disabilities. Last year, fraternities handled this and we weren’t in the loop for it.

AM – giving kids with disabilities candy may not be a good idea. Maybe toys, but we need to make sure that these won’t break

AM – Jim Harris is over Greek system and could clue us in. JW will contact him.

We wouldn’t be in charge of this, just sponsoring treats/truck for the program.

AM – Circle park (where this is held) may not be a very accessible point for impaired children

Difficult to drop people off (curb cut is steep)

9/25/08 – next meeting is in 150