2022-2023 Academic Year

For previous academic year meeting minutes, please visit our archive.

DC Minutes – April 20

Present: Kim Baylock, Elizabeth Greene, Sara Greene, Judy Li, Tyler Schlandt, Kate Shepas, and Megan Venable

Diversity Committee meeting minutes

Thursday, May 18 at 1 PM

Attending: Michelle Brannen, Kim Blaylock, Megan Venable, Thura Mack, Kate Shepas, Tyler Schlandt, Sara Green, Alex Boris, Christy Cortes, Judy Li, Kelly Gray and Peter Fernandez

Announcements –

Save the date for the International Festival is October 20^th from 10 – 2. The committee agreed to participate in having a booth for it; perhaps put together a task force to talk about a plan for it.

HR Bulletin topics for June –

Topic 1: announcement to welcome new members.

Topic 2: Project GRAD will be held in Hodges Library in June and taught by members of the Diversity Committee.

New member selection – discussion was held and there was an agreement to invite Will Thompson, Lizzie Cope, Lee Ann Ratledge, Kris Bronstad, Joseph McGuire, William Judd, Samantha Ward. Dean Smith will be given the slate of proposed new members for his approval. New members would be invited to attend orientation in June and attend their first meeting in July. Additionally, Nathalie Hristov will be invited to join as an ex-officio member in recognition of our collaborations over the years. Kate will work with Thura on getting an invitation letter to her to ask her to join the committee.

Lunch and Learn updates – please think about ideas for upcoming L&L topics (including potential speakers as well as subject ideas). Megan will send out some standard language describing the Lunch and Learn series. (see below)

The UT Libraries Diversity Committee hosts and participates in a number of campus-wide activities to promote civility and awareness of social justice issues. Our Lunch and Learn series has covered a variety of topics such as “How to be an Anti-Racist: From Theory to Practice,” and “Reflecting on our Foundations: Native Voices and Stories.” We’ve also covered topics such as “Financial Literacy” and “Conversations on Immigration,” so you can see we cover a wide variety of subjects during these programs.

Ideas for new meeting structure – there will be a push to make meetings more productive. Peter suggested we examine the committee members strengths for assessment. Christy, Peter, Judy, Alex and Thura will be a subcommittee to meet to discuss how to restructure. The subcommittee will report to the full committee in June.

Concern for Chinese Students

• A UT Daily Beacon article surrounding the ban of Tik-Tok and WeChat addressed feelings and concerns from our Chinese students as they use these apps to communicate back home. Continue to be aware of the affect this state law is having on our students and making them feel isolated.  
• Additionally, be aware of the house bill being passed at the state level that affects the campus, professors, and students.

Book Read Update

• The title for the upcoming book read is The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. It is available as an e-book in the collection, https://utk.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01UTN_KNOXVILLE/bcmt7h/alma9926224986302311.
• The committee has a meeting scheduled to discuss next steps.

HR Topics for May

• Kim will share a small list of video resources that represent the Cultural Corner.

Call for New Members

• ACTION: please review the call for new members https://www.lib.utk.edu/diversity/2022/04/25/call-for-new-members-2022/ and submit any suggestions to Megan by Monday, April 24^th.
• A suggestion was made to ask new members to give examples of skills they could add to the committee, such as experience with fliers, programming, website skills, or event tabling.
• Megan will send out to ALL-STAFF after suggestions are taken into consideration.

Cultural Updates for Different Groups

• Kate explained the scenario encountered at the coffeehouse event with the Iranian Student Organization and the misrepresentation of the country’s flag.
• Kate proposed an idea to potentially include student groups in the diversity committee’s discussions when thinking about programs and events.
• The Diversity Committee will plan to meet with the Dean of Libraries’ Student Advisory Committee in the Fall to talk with the group and get recommendations for culture corner, lunch and learns, and other diversity committee programs.
• There may be an opportunity to reach out and get feedback from specific student organizations in the creation period and selection of library materials.

Diversity Committee meeting minutes 3.23.23

Via Zoom

Attending: Thura Mack, Ernest Brothers, Alex Boris, Judy Li, Christy Urquieta Cortes, Kim Blaylock, Kelly Gray, Megan Venable, Kate Shepas, Tyler Schlandt, Michelle Brannen, Sara Green

• Announcements
  • Graduate school appreciation week is next week: https://gradschool.utk.edu/graduate-student-life/gpsaw-week/
• HR Bulletin topics
  • Medical Library Association April 19th “Why I Became a Director” Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlfuCpqzsiHteC9vPL-yOtTFTsCtCMrHTX to receive the Zoom information
  • Kate offered to submit a note about the April 5 coffeehouse on Iran from 1 – 3 PM and our current Culture Corner on Iranian culture for women
• Ideas for future space/programming
  • Judy suggested bringing some games to campus that offer an orientation into different cultures
  • Michelle offered that Paris Whalon is looking in to getting some games on civil rights/disparity
  • Kelly suggested a trivia night
  • Tyler suggested putting a stage in the area behind Starbucks and Kelly and Kate had ideas on how to utilize the space in the fall
  • Michelle suggested working with the International House on putting together a trivia night in the fall and Judy offered to work on that initiative
  • Michelle suggested a poetry reading
  • Judy suggested soothing music for Destress
  • Sara a table with a poster with squares listing different professions and in talking with students placing push pins into their major asking them if they have considered working in a corner of the field not regularly looked at. Have lists that have different culturally important businesses/offices that address these options. An example would be health care on an Indian reservation, a rural area with low income residents or immigrant center.
  • Thura suggested having the radio station come over
• Book Read update
  • 22 titles were suggested; a vote will go out next week to all lib, SIS and the student ALA chapter
• VCC update
  • The physical culture corner is up; the website will soon be updated

Diversity Committee meeting minutes

Thursday Feb. 16, 1-2pm

Attendees: Thura Mack, Megan Venable, Kate Shepas, Alex Boris, Kim Blaylock, Elizabeth Greene, Trey Hobson, Kelly Gray, Peter Fernandez, Tyler Schlandt

Diversity Committee meeting: https://tennessee.zoom.us/j/92174505276

FUTURE student internship – making good progress with Lauren; please let Thura know if there are any projects she can be working on.

Women’s History Month update – Alex reported that we have a list of 45 titles and if you collect the book please initial that you retrieved it on the spreadsheet. The “notable women in history” display will go up March 1 in recognition of Women’s History Month.

Megan asked about the possibility of partnering with the Center for Financial Wellness and creating a book display in April on financial wellness. Alex agreed and we will work together on the display.

VCC – Molly is making progress on our next Culture Corner, and a meeting is scheduled for the VCC in early March.

Book Read update – meeting scheduled for Friday, February 17th

Upcoming Lunch and Learns –

Friday, February 24

1:00pm-2:00pm Lecture: Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO), Student Union 270 and Zoom: tiny.utk.edu/SUCHO

Thursday, March 9

Noon – 1:30 A panel has been set to discuss students and financial hardship/food instability Big Orange Closet (Blake Weiss), Big Orange Pantry (Johanna Ramb), Center for Financial Wellness (Philippa Satterwhite – moderator of panel), Dean of Students Office (Javiette Samuel) and Smokey’s Pantry (Nicole Carvagno).  Student Union 360 and Zoom: tiny.utk.edu/financial-hardship

Be thinking of future topics for the summer or fall Lunch and Learns.

Tyler asked that we find additional ways for the diversity committee to have more of a presence in the day to day libraries activities. It was suggested that a diversity committee highlight be part of the HR minute. Elizabeth suggested keeping the HR minute on each agenda so that she will know what to include on each communication.

Megan gave a brief overview of her work with the National Coalition Building Institute diversity training for the campus.

Alex will get Elizabeth the information about the women’s history month book display, and Thura will get Elizabeth information on Thoughtful Thursdays for the HR minute.

Kim suggested some streaming videos be featured for the April HR minute provided it doesn’t interfere with public performance rights.

Next Meeting is March 16

@https://tennessee.zoom.us/j/94782952399

UT Libraries Diversity Committee

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Via Zoom

Attending: Thura Mack, Megan Venable, Kate Shepas, Tyler Schlandt, Alex Boris, Christy Urquieta Cortes, Judy Li, Alison Meadows, Peter Fernandez, Kelly Gray

• Collaboration with Nathalie Hristov, for the Ready for the World Music Series: Ukraine
  • Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO) is an initiative of over 1,500 international volunteers who are collaborating online to digitize and preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage. Since the start of the invasion, SUCHO has web-archived more than 5,000 websites and 50TB of data of Ukrainian cultural institutions, to prevent these websites from going offline. The websites range from national archives to local museums, from 3D tours of churches to children’s art centers. ***This activity is open to a limited number of in-person attendees based on meeting room capacity. A Zoom option will be available for online participation and is open to the public.
  • Nathalie requests our assistance with tiny URL links for sessions and monitoring of Zoom; surveys (creation, distribution, collection, and input); attendance and participation for sessions (especially the 2/24 session from 1 – 2:30 in Student Union 270); submit questions for presenters; and any help setting up and breaking down after each session would be appreciated.

The full schedule for the visit is below:

Friday, February 24, 2023

1:00pm-2:00pm Lecture: Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO), Student Union 270 and Zoom: tiny.utk.edu/SUCHO

2:00pm-2:30pm Q&A from audience

2:30pm Wrap up with in-person attendees: what are UT Libraries’ social responsibilities to the community (regional, professional, global)? what strategies/and or takeaways from today’s session can be applied to our work in the UT Libraries?

3:00 Dismiss/Break down 

Presenter: Quinn Dombrowski (Digital Humanities Librarian, Stanford University; SUCHO Coordinator)

Marking the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, librarian and project coordinator Quinn Dombrowski (Stanford University) will present a lecture on a library-led effort, Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO). SUCHO is an initiative of over 1,500 international volunteers who are collaborating online to digitize and preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage. Since the start of the invasion, SUCHO has web-archived more than 5,000 websites and 50TB of data of Ukrainian cultural institutions, to prevent these websites from going offline. The websites range from national archives to local museums, from 3D tours of churches to children’s art centers. ***This activity is open to a limited number of in-person attendees based on meeting room capacity. A Zoom option will be available for online participation and is open to the public.

Sunday, February 26, 2023 (attend as able)

12:30pm-2:00pm Ready for the World Music Series (Art and cultural exhibits; reception), SOM Lobby 

Exhibitors: Viktoriia Cubbedge, Oksana Kravchenko, Anya Allen, Alina Blium Anderson, Oolidea, LLC, UT Libraries, koloHUB. https://music.utk.edu/rftw/ 

2:00pm-4:00pm Ready for the World Music Series (Music performance and lecture), SOM Recital Hall 

Presenters: Angelina Gadeliya, Solomia Soroka, Sergei Vassiliev https://music.utk.edu/rftw/ 

Monday, February 27, 2023 – Mary Greer Rm

1:00pm-2:00pm Lecture, Ukrainian Music: The Story of Passion, Struggle, and Hope  

2:00pm-2:30pm Q&A from audience

2:30pm Wrap up with in-person attendees (light refreshments).

Presenter: Solomia Soroka

Ukraine’s geopolitical history is probably one of the world’s most dramatic and tragic, as is its history of music. This lecture offers an insight into the Ukrainian classical musical scene starting with the 17th century and proceeding into modern times. The audience will be introduced to the music of four most important composers of Ukraine: Mykola Lysenko, Vasyl Barvinsky, Myroslav Skoryk, and Yevhen Stankovych, and discuss various musical and political factors that influenced life and their creative output.  

• International Café
  • First Wednesday of every month from 1 – 3 PM in the Mary Greer Room – Feb. 1 (China; Judy made note that this is also the start of the Chinese New Year), Mar. 1, Apr. 5, May 3
• FUTURE student intern
  • FUTURE is a UT comprehensive program that helps young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities make a successful transition from high school to adult life. They are looking for placement of one of their students in the libraries. Tyler volunteered to assist in transitioning this student in the library. David Castleman dcastle4@vols.utk.edu is the contact with FUTURE to work in transitioning the student into the library.
• Lunch and Learn updates
  • A panel has been set to discuss students and financial hardship/food instabilityBig Orange Closet (Blake Weiss), Big Orange Pantry (Johanna Ramb), Center for Financial Wellness (Philippa Satterwhite – moderator of panel), End Hunger/FEED Change (Javiette Samuel) and Smokey’s Pantry (Nicole Carvagno). We are planning on holding the event in-person/hybrid in early March.
• There will be Book Read and VCC updates in the February meeting.
• Tyler suggested we use the mobile book display in late February to feature a topic.
• Judy suggested a book display for female journalists for Women’s History Month. Judy, Alex, Thura, Alison, Kate and Kelly all agreed to work as a subcommittee on this subject and Megan will schedule a meeting for everyone.