VRA Statement of Solidarity Against Book Bans
The Visual Resources Association stands in unwavering solidarity with information professionals facing aggressive challenges to their mission and collections. We encourage VRA members to take action against censorship.
The Visual Resources Association stands in unwavering solidarity with information professionals facing aggressive challenges to their mission and collections. As cultural heritage professionals, we are allied with public, school, and academic librarians, who play a crucial role in our communities by curating diverse collections of books, educational materials, and resources, offering guidance to readers of all backgrounds, and fostering a love for learning. They ensure that information is readily accessible to all, without discrimination or censorship, which is a cornerstone of democratic societies.
The increasing hostilities and pressures confronting librarians are deeply troubling, especially as the recent proliferation of book ban efforts specifically targets materials that represent vulnerable and/or marginalized groups, including the LGBTQIA+ community and BIPOC. This not only threatens the intellectual freedom of these communities but also perpetuates discrimination and stifles important dialogues surrounding equity and representation.
We firmly believe in the essential role librarians play in enriching our communities, promoting inclusivity, and defending the fundamental values of intellectual freedom and democracy. We encourage VRA members to take action against censorship. Take the time to learn more using the resources below. Send letters of encouragement and support to your local library or school board using the included draft letter and/or your own personal message.
Resources:
Challenges and Censorship to Intellectual and Artistic Freedoms in the News (Google Doc compiled by Sara Schumacher for the VRA 2023 Conference presentation in September 2023).
Other organizations fighting book bans and other forms of censorship:
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): The ACLU advocates for freedom of expression and has a history of defending artists and cultural institutions against censorship.
American Library Association (ALA): The ALA has been a leading advocate for intellectual freedom and the right to read. They maintain resources, guidelines, and support for librarians, educators, and the public facing book challenges.
Banned Books Week: This is an annual event held by the ALA and other organizations to raise awareness of book bans and censorship issues. It often features events and resources to support the freedom to read.
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF): While primarily focused on comics and graphic novels, CBLDF also fights against censorship and offers resources for understanding and combating book bans.
EveryLibrary: EveryLibrary builds support for libraries and helps Americans fight book banning in their communities.
Fight for the First: “Campaigns on Fight for the First will allow you to take action against book bans in your community and gain direct support from EveryLibrary. If you create a campaign on Fight for the First, EveryLibrary will help you reach more people in your community through our extensive supporter and partner network. We'll also help you get the training and support you need to win!”
Freedom to Read Foundation (American Library Association): This organization is dedicated to the freedom to read and works on issues related to censorship affecting books and cultural materials.
Kids' Right to Read Network (National Coalition Against Censorship): A joint project of the NCAC and ABFE, KRRP specifically focuses on challenges to books and other materials in schools and libraries.
National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC): NCAC focuses on various forms of censorship, including that which affects art and cultural heritage.
PEN America: “PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.”
Unite Against Book Bans Action Toolkit: “A small but vocal group is driving the current flood of book bans in school and public libraries across the country. It's important to counter those voices by uniting in support of the freedom to read in your local community. How can you and your community unite against book bans? We've put together this action toolkit to help you get started.”
Form letter:
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Date]
[Librarian's Name]
[Library Name]
[Library Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
Dear [Librarian's Name],
I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my wholehearted support for your invaluable work as a librarian at [Library Name]. Your dedication to fostering knowledge, diversity, and the free exchange of ideas is commendable, and it has not gone unnoticed.
In these challenging times, it has come to my attention that you and your colleagues are facing criticism, hostility, and attempts to ban or restrict books and materials. I want to assure you that your unwavering commitment to intellectual freedom and the right of all individuals to access a diverse array of information is deeply appreciated.
I am especially impressed by your commitment to upholding these principles in the face of efforts to target materials representing marginalized groups, including the LGBTQIA+ community and BIPOC. Your advocacy for diversity, inclusion, and social justice, despite the challenges you encounter, is truly commendable.
I firmly believe in the essential role librarians play in enriching our communities, promoting inclusivity, and defending the fundamental values of intellectual freedom and democracy. Your work as a librarian is an embodiment of these principles.
Please know that you have my wholehearted support and admiration. I stand in solidarity with you and your colleagues at [Library or School Name]. Keep up the vital work you are doing, and may you continue to be a beacon of knowledge, reason, and enlightenment for all in our community.
If there is anything I can do to assist or support you in your mission, please do not hesitate to reach out. You have my deepest gratitude and respect.
Thank you once again for your unwavering dedication and service to our community.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
EAC August 2023 Community Hour Notes
Thanks to those who were able to join us for yesterday's discussion of “Tackling Taboo Topics: A Review of the Three M's in Working Women's Lives”, by Alicia A. Grandey, Allison S. Gabriel, and Eden B. King (Journal of Management, Volume 46, Issue 1, https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206319857144).
If you weren't able to join us, the Community Hour notes can be found here.
Our next Community Hour will be announced in early September.
Best,
Lesley and Cindy
EAC July 2023 Community Hour Notes
Thank you to all who joined us for a great Community Hour. We had a solid discussion of the article: "'Nice White Meetings:' Unpacking Absurd Library Bureaucracy through a Critical Race Theory Lens".
Couldn't make it? Check out the Community Hour Doc for a summary of our discussion.
Mark your calendars for the next Equitable Action Committee offering, our Community Hour on Wednesday August 16th at 3 PM EDT.
VRA Right To Be Workshop: Bystander Intervention in the Workplace
The Equitable Action Committee (EAC) and the Visual Resources Association Executive Board are pleased to offer "Bystander Intervention In the Workplace," an interactive training workshop led by Right To Be on Thursday, March 23rd, from 2:00pm-3:00pm EST / 11:00am-12:00pm PST.This workshop is free to VRA members as well as students and professionals in the field of visual resources and has been customized to address scenarios we may encounter in our unique workplaces.About Right To Be:Our goal is to reduce instances of workplace disrespect and harassment by giving employees the tools they need to disrupt those perpetrating it. We will equip you with tools to be an effective bystander in the midst of workplace disrespect or harassment by using our proven 5Ds of bystander intervention methodology - distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct. 98% of employees leave our training committed to intervene next time they witness disrespect or harassment at work.REGISTER HERE!
February EAC Community Hour: Found in Translation: Multilingualism in GLAMs
Please join us on Monday, February 27 at 3:00pm EST / 12:00pm PST for our next Community Hour: Found in Translation: Multilingualism in GLAMs.From metadata and descriptions to whole interface translations, multilingualism in GLAMs is an important step towards opening our collections to a broader range of users. Do you have a multilingual project you would like to share with us? Do you want to start a project but don't know where/how to begin? How can we build capacity for these projects in small and/or under-resourced repositories? Join us and repeat special guest Devon Murphy for an informal discussion/brainstorming session on multilingual support in our collections.Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour! Have an idea for a future Community Hour? Share your idea with this form!Best,Lael and LesleyEAC Co-Chairs
January EAC Community Hour: New Year’s Check-in, Resolutions Not Required
We invite you to join the EAC on Wednesday, January 18th at 2pm EDT / 11am PDT for our January Community Hour: New Year’s Check-in: Resolutions Not Required.As we begin 2023, we want to take the Hour to validate our concerns for the year to come. While we often feel pressured to “start fresh” and “make resolutions” for the new year, it is a fact that we will continue to face many of the same issues and roadblocks we were met with in December. While we welcome tips to navigate self-motivation, as well as integrating manageable goals, we hope this will be a space to come together to support each other and be candid about our worries for January and the spring!As always, we do not record the community hours to encourage free and open discussion.Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour! Have an idea for a future Community Hour? Share your idea with this form!Best,Lael and LesleyEAC Co-Chairs
December EAC Community Hour: An Intro to the Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources
As we barrel headlong into the busy holiday season, the EAC cordially invites you to our last Community Hour of 2022. Please join us and our guest Devon Murphy on Thursday, December 1 at 2:00pm EST / 11:00am PST for An Intro to the Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources.Responding to the lack of attention paid to description of trans materials in GLAMS (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums), a group of trans and gender diverse information professionals convened over the course of a year to create the Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources. Murphy, one of several editors on the project, will provide a brief overview of the Best Practices' making and their major guidelines. Discussion is welcomed on how the best practices can fit into your visual resources workflows. Prior reading of the guidelines is not required; simply bring your thoughts and questions.Devon Murphy (they/them) is a white, nonbinary, and chronically ill metadata worker based in Austin, Texas, United States (Tonkawa, Comanche, and Coahuiltecan land.) They currently work as the Metadata Analyst at the University of Texas at Austin Libraries, managing metadata for cultural heritage collections and building metadata aggregation services. They are active in creating ethical guidelines, being an editor/drafter on the Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources, and being an active member of the QMDC (Queer Metadata Collective).Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour! Have an idea for a future Community Hour? Share your idea with this form!Best,Lael and LesleyEAC Co-Chairs
October EAC Community Hour: Personal & Professional Positionality
Join the EAC and our special guest Sara Schumacher on Wednesday, October 26 at 2:00 p.m. EDT / 11:00 a.m. PDT to discuss how you can create your own social identity profile by using positionality maps and power wheels. We will reflect on how our identities impact how we perceive images and thereby our jobs as visual resources professionals. When we understand our unconscious biases and relationship to power, what responsibilities do we have and what actions can we take?To learn more about intersectionality, positionality, and privilege, visit this infographic from the University of Michigan’s Center for Social Solutions.Sara Schumacher is the Architecture Image Librarian at Texas Tech University. Her research interests include visual literacy instruction, ethics, and bias.Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour! Have an idea for a future Community Hour? Share your idea with this form!Best,Lael and LesleyEAC Co-Chairs
September EAC Community Hour: Virtual Coffee Break
How is it [halfway through] September already!? If you are anything like us, you've had an exceptionally busy summer and things don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon! The EAC cordially invites you to a "virtual coffee break" at our next Community Hour, on Tuesday, September 27 at 2:00pm EDT / 11:00am PDT. Bring your beverage and/or snacks of choice to take a breather, decompress a bit, and take a look ahead. We have some great ideas for our Community Hours in 2022-2023, but we want to hear from you too! What can the EAC community do for you to help promote DEI in our field? What would you like to learn more about in the coming months? What challenges are we all facing right now? Hope to see you in the Zoom "break room"!Do you have a specific question or topic to discuss? Add it to the discussion prompt section in the Community doc here.Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour! Have an idea for a future Community Hour? Share your idea with this form!Best,Lael and LesleyEAC Co-Chairs
August EAC Community Hour: Vocational Awe in GLAMs
We hope you will join the EAC on Wednesday, August 17th 3:00-4:00pm EDT / 12:00-1:00pm PDT for our August Community Hour: Vocational Awe in GLAMs (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums). Independent scholar and consultant Fobazi Ettarh defines ‘Vocational Awe’ as “the idea that libraries as institutions are inherently good. It assumes that some or all core aspects of the profession are beyond critique, and it, in turn, underpins many librarians’ sense of identity and emotional investment in the profession.” Although the term originated in the library world, we plan to discuss how it can cover many areas of the GLAM work world.If your schedule allows, we strongly encourage attendees to review the resources listed in the Community Hour doc in advance of attending the Hour as we will be discussing these materials. If not, please join us anyway!As always, we do not record the community hours to encourage free and open discussion.Do you have a specific question or topic to discuss? Add it to the discussion prompt section in the Community Hour doc.Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour! Have an idea for a future Community Hour? Share your idea with this form!Best,Lael and LesleyEAC Co-Chairs