WASHINGTON and FARMINGTON HILLS,
Mich., April 20, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has
published a new Leadership Brief on Anti-Racist Executive
Leadership for Public Libraries, sponsored by Gale, a Cengage
company. This resource examines the deep roots and enduring harm of
structural racism in public libraries and challenges library
executives to take on a more active, intentional and accountable
role in strengthening their libraries as anti-racist
institutions.
This leadership brief gives library executives the strategic
direction and framework to address systemic racism.
Introducing the Leadership Brief is the following quote from
Baltimore County Public Library Director Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, "In order to make any
progress as library leaders, we need to look at our own history
with humility and have the courage to recognize that we can be part
of the solution." Alcántara-Antoine is a member of ULC's
Anti-Racism action team, which informed the development of the
Leadership Brief.
To guide library executives in taking meaningful steps forward
in their work as anti-racists, the Leadership Brief provides key
messages, action strategies and examples of leading practices. This
includes recommendations not only for advancing organizational
change and staff growth, but also identifying and addressing
personal blind spots, biases and racist attitudes.
"Anti-racist leaders must be more than voices for change – we
need to actively embrace and embody continuous growth as
individuals, even when it is painful," said ULC President & CEO
Susan Benton. "This new Leadership
Brief builds on the insights and deliberations of library
executives across North America.
It is meant to be a call to action for all leaders to own their
role in addressing systemic racism."
The Leadership Brief highlights executives from 13 ULC member
libraries in the U.S. and Canada.
All 13 libraries are among the 206 total systems who have signed
ULC's Statement on Race and Social Equity. For additional
information about ULC's Statement on Race and Social Equity,
Anti-Racism action team and Anti-Racist Executive Leadership for
Public Libraries Leadership Brief visit urbanlibraries.org.
Gale is the first corporate partner to sign ULC's Statement
on Race and Social Equity and sponsor the Leadership Brief.
"Systemic racism underpins our history and taking action is the
only way to create change and promote equity," said Paul Gazzolo senior vice president and general
manager at Gale. "Gale supports ULC's commitment to helping public
libraries achieve racial and social equity and this leadership
brief gives library executives the strategic direction and
framework to put in the work to tackle structural racism and
systemic inequities, putting them on a path to becoming an
anti-racist library and safe space for all."
To learn how Gale can help public libraries measure and reduce
equity barriers and support diversity, equity, inclusion and
anti-racism through online learning and collection development,
visit: gale.com/equity.
About the Urban Libraries Council
The Urban Libraries Council is an innovation and action tank of
North America's leading public
library systems. ULC drives cutting-edge research and strategic
partnerships to elevate the power of libraries as essential,
transformative institutions for the 21st century. More than 150
urban member libraries in the U.S. and Canada rely on ULC to identify significant
challenges facing today's communities and provide new tools and
techniques to help libraries achieve stronger outcomes in
education, digital equity, workforce and economic development, and
race and social equity.
About Cengage and Gale
Cengage, an education technology company serving millions of
learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through
quality, digital experiences. The company currently serves the
K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language
teaching and workforce training markets worldwide. Gale, a Cengage
company, provides libraries with original and curated content, as
well as the modern research tools and technology that are crucial
in connecting libraries to learning, and learners to libraries. For
more than 60 years, Gale has partnered with libraries around the
world to empower the discovery of knowledge and insights – where,
when and how people need it. Gale has 500 employees globally with
its main operations in Farmington Hills,
Michigan. For more information, please visit
www.gale.com.
Follow Gale on:
- Twitter
- Gale blog
- Facebook
- LinkedIn
Media Contacts:
Curtis
Rogers, ULC
(202) 750-8658
crogers@urbanlibraries.org
Kayla Siefker, Gale, a Cengage
company
248-915-9624
kayla.siefker@cengage.com
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SOURCE Gale, a Cengage company