Colleagues and Friends of the Library,
As an ally and a leader at IU Indianapolis I want to affirm my personal, and our organizational dedication to equity and valuing diversity. I know I am not alone in despondence over the tragic death of George Floyd and the too numerous to count black and brown lives that have been taken by similar means for decades. I take heart that we are a part of an organization that does not ignore these issues because they are hard.
As a University Library community we have made diversity one of our core Values:
We acknowledge that systemic, detrimental bias against individuals from underrepresented groups exists. We are intentional in embracing diversity and eradicating human value disparity through our teaching endeavors, content provision, daily interactions with colleagues and communities served, as well as our hiring and retention efforts, training and professional development.
As a University Library community we have made equity a Strategic Priority:
We are dedicated to: recognizing and addressing bias and structural inequalities, working towards equity of access to information for all individuals, and valuing the diversity of human experience. This dedication is purposefully embedded in our organizational culture, daily operations, structures, teaching methods, hiring and retention practices, collection development, and daily operations.
I also recognize that making statements is not enough. Eradicating systemic inequality requires daily effort on all our parts and I am proud to be a part of a supportive organization made of individuals that have committed to this daily pursuit.
In solidarity,
Kristi L. Palmer
Herbert Simon Dean of University Library