EDI Statement

Warwick Public Library

EDI Statement

We are Warwick Public Library. We are a place to gather, to speak, to listen, to ask, to learn, and to grow. The Library is where we engage with each other and with our community, respecting that each of us is a whole person with individual distinctive experiences, our own dignity, and a unique perspective.

We strive to be responsive and active members of our community to be a part of building a strong, healthy, and vibrant Warwick.

We strive to treat one another the same way we treat our patrons, starting with a belief that others’ intentions are good. As colleagues, we respect, value, support, and encourage one another.

We strive to understand our community and to build inclusive and equitable services and partnerships. Furthering racial equity and social justice in the Library and in our community is core to this mission.

 

Definitions

Racial Equity: The systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable opportunities and outcomes for all. Racial justice—or racial equity—goes beyond 'anti-racism.' It is not just the absence of discrimination and inequities, but also the presence of deliberate systems and supports to achieve and sustain racial equity through proactive and preventative measures.

Race Forward, https://www.raceforward.org/reporting-guide , https://www.ala.org/aboutala/odlos-glossary-terms

 

Social Justice: Social justice focuses on power dynamics among different groups of people while acknowledging historical and institutional inequities. It has a vision of a society with equitable distribution of resources, in which “all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure, recognized, and treated with respect.”

From Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, Adams, Bell, Goodman, and Joshi, 3rd ed., Routledge 2016 https://www.ala.org/aboutala/odlos-glossary-terms