Equity and Inclusion Committee

Last updated: January 2024

About the committee 

Mission

Under the executive sponsorship of the university librarian, the purpose of the UC Berkeley Library’s Library Equity and Inclusion Committee (LEIC) will be to advise the Library Cabinet on ways to ensure that social justice, anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values that are championed in both theory and practice in the Library. This committee was established following a recommendation from the 2020-21 Task Force on Racial Justice. 

The Library Equity and Inclusion Committee is a collaborative effort of Library staff and librarians, with campus faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and staff from campus units. Committee members provide inspiration, input, and guidance with a goal of ensuring that the policies and practices of the Library create a respectful, supportive, and equitable environment for all people who use the Library and all people who work for the Library.

Objectives

Though the committee may adjust its specific objectives year by year in consultation with the university librarian, at launch it will prioritize the following: 

  • Advise and prepare recommendations for the Library Cabinet related to Library organizational and policy issues around equity and inclusion. This will include building on the work of the Library’s Task Force on Racial Justice. 
  • Enhance Library communications about past and upcoming webinars, conferences, workshops, educational events, activism, etc. related to issues of equity and inclusion.
  • Develop programming on topics of equity and inclusion to develop new staff learning, and support initiatives for the Library.
  • Advise and provide recommendations on current outreach and recruitment policies and strategies to ensure that principles of equity and inclusion are consistently applied and maintained to encourage more diverse pools of applicants for all open positions.
  • Advise on Library spaces and inform processes to make our spaces more welcoming and inclusive.
  • Recommend and assist with implementation of Library-focused equity and inclusion initiatives, programs, and training.
  • Recommend campus-wide initiatives and student-led efforts that the Library could participate in to advance equity and inclusion.
  • Annually assess this committee’s charge and structure, and suggest revisions if appropriate.

General structure

  • The Library Equity and Inclusion Committee shall be composed typically of ten to fifteen members of the UC Berkeley campus, to be proposed by the committee and confirmed by Library Cabinet.
  • The committee may appoint subcommittees.
  • Committee members will have leadership roles for program and project implementation as mutually agreed upon with the university librarian and Library Cabinet.
  • The terms for librarians and faculty shall be staggered; in the initial year and from time to time this may require some appointments that are shorter or longer than normal.
  • A minimum of three meetings of the committee shall take place per semester. Subcommittee meeting frequency shall be determined by subcommittee leads and their respective subcommittee members.
  • Members of the committee will be recruited by an “open call” nomination and self-nomination process to the campus community implemented by the Library Cabinet.
  • Co-chairs must be current committee members, and shall be determined in consultation with the committee and the university librarian.
  • Co-chair terms should be staggered in order to create stability from year to year.
  • Subcommittee leads must be current committee members, and shall be determined by and report to the committee. Regular meetings between subcommittee leads and the co-chairs shall ensure that subcommittee work and processes are in alignment with the priorities and recommendations identified by the committee. The recruitment of subcommittee members shall be determined by the subcommittee leads, in consultation with the committee co-chairs.
  • The committee will be provided with funding to support programs and activities consistent with this charge, and with university policy. In its initial year, funding will be in the amount of $25,000.
  • Meeting minutes are shared with the committee for approval and are distributed, upon their formal approval, to the entire Library staff. 

A. Membership

  • Undergraduate student(s): 1-2 (when possible)
  • Graduate student(s): 1-2 (when possible)
  • Librarians and Library staff: 5-7 
  • Faculty (Academic Senate and/or non-Academic Senate): 1-2
  • Non-Library staff or external volunteers (e.g., donors): 1-2
  • Library Cabinet member (ex officio, on a rotational basis)
  • Director of Library Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer (ex officio) 

B. Committee structure and nomination to committee process

Each year, the committee nominates people for next year’s committee membership. This process of nomination and selection can be performed by a sub-group of the committee. This should include an open call for nominations. The purpose of this sub-committee is to oversee the application, nomination, and recommendation processes for the Library Equity and Inclusion Committee. Recommendations for membership shall require final approval by the Library Cabinet.

The Library Equity and Inclusion Committee undergraduate and graduate student members shall be recruited on an annual basis (with the possibility of renewal for a second year term). Other members shall serve two-year terms.

Committee service expectation: The expectation is that the work of the committee should not take more than 4-8 hours a month for most committee members. The intent is to balance work and committee expectations. Supervisors should be aware of the work commitment to participate on the committee, the importance of participation, and accommodate the release time. If more committee work time is necessary due to a member’s involvement on a project or task, the supervisor should work with the staff member for an appropriate work balance and revised duties. Questions about this can be referred to appropriate Library Cabinet members if there are any issues. 

Library Cabinet support expectation: The Library Cabinet, under the leadership of the university librarian, is committed to advancing equity and inclusion within the Library and, through the Library’s services, on campus and beyond. As the Cabinet’s leader, the university librarian has a direct role in supporting the committee’s work, and will bring recommendations and other issues forward to the Cabinet. The Cabinet has an ex officio member on the committee to provide an additional communication channel. The committee co-chairs will, normally, meet with the university librarian at least twice a semester to provide updates on the committee’s work. At the discretion of the co-chairs, some or all other members of the committee may attend these meetings. The co-chairs may also request that some meetings be held with the entire Cabinet if that would be useful for advancing the committee’s work.  

C. Endorsements

As an advisory committee under the executive sponsorship of the university librarian, the Library Equity and Inclusion Committee provides recommendations to the University Librarian on issues related to its charge. The committee does not speak for the Library and does not provide endorsements of specific issues, causes, or individuals, either publicly or in communications to others outside of the Library. Of course, committee members may choose to do so as individuals.

Committee members 2023-24

  • Ramona Collins, Law (chair)
  • Jackie Gosselar, Library IT
  • Tiffany Grandstaff, Library Cabinet
  • Connor Green, student member
  • Ruth Haber, Arts and Humanities Division
  • Tracee Jackson, ERSO (campus staff representative)
  • Amber Lawrence, Library Communications Office
  • Corliss Lee, Instruction Services (past chair)
  • Brian Light, Social Sciences Division
  • Jay Lomeli, Director of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer
  • John Orbon, Library Development
  • Linda Riewe, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (campus staff representative)
  • Lena Tama, student member
  • Lisa Tsuchitani, faculty, Ethnic Studies
     

LEIC subcommittees

Communications

  • Tor Haugan
  • Corliss Lee (convenor)
  • Helena Meier
  • John Orbon 
  • Linda Riewe
  • I-Wei Wang 

Programming

  • Jim Church
  • Amber Lawrence (co-convenor)
  • Brian Light (co-convenor)
  • Jay Lomeli
  • Shannon Monroe
  • Linda Riewe

Recruitment

  • Sheehan Grant
  • Corliss Lee
  • Brian Light
  • Jay Lomeli (convenor)
  • Shannon Monroe
  • Susan Powell
  • Elliott Smith 

Spaces

  • Vaughn Egge
  • David Eifler
  • Jackie Gosselar (convenor)
  • Kali Kushner
  • Corliss Lee
  • Susan McElrath
  • Minhae Roth
  • Michael Sholinbeck
  • Lena Tama
  • Diana Vergil