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Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility

2023; Music Library Association; Volume: 80; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/not.2023.a912338

1534-150X

Susannah Cleveland, Mark A. Puente,

Library Science and Administration

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Susannah Cleveland (bio) and Mark Puente (bio) Though topics of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) were not individually addressed in the March 2000 Notes issue covering the state of music librarianship, these principles are hardly new. The absence of that topic in that issue is not necessarily indicative of the absence of values that lead to explicit IDEA action but rather a reflection of how these priorities have been discussed and implemented. Since 2000, we have seen a stark paradigm shift from diversity efforts that were largely based on representation in staffing—something over which most music librarians feel they have little control—to one of greater personal responsibility for all members of an organization. Especially since the murders of Michael Brown and George Floyd (amongst many others) by police and the racial awakening of 2020, the idea of inequity being baked into systems has never been more evident. Actions aimed at ameliorating the conditions that lead to that inequity feel more necessary than ever, especially in organizations that exist for the public good. While these concepts might run the risk of being treated as temporary and passing fads, a clear look at some of the grounding principles of the discipline of librarianship can illustrate that the context has changed, but the exhortations are not new. For many who enter the field of librarianship, the Five Laws of Library Science outlined by Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan present a framework through which we develop personal philosophy and practice.1 Revisiting Ranganathan's laws illuminates how modern practices and considerations related to IDEA concepts in librarianship serve as an extension and recontextualization of ideas that have formed the basis for many [End Page 259] modern library guiding principles.2 Written in 1931, when publicly accessible libraries in India were a recent phenomenon, Ranganathan's text addresses the value of libraries in public life as a democratizing force. His principles prioritize the user and their library experience in a manner that can guide modern practice and ensure that we build environments and conditions that allow all users to thrive, pursuits that are at the very heart of IDEA. the first law: books are for use Ranganathan's first law is simple: Books are for use. The idea that materials acquired by libraries are intrinsically for the users, not to be locked away and untouched, creates for the librarian a philosophy for inclusive access. He outlines a variety of patron needs that relate directly to our current conversations around inclusivity and accessibility in the library, from hours, to stack heights, to aisle widths, all framed in the expectation that creating a space for effective use of books requires creating an environment that users find accommodating. Expectations of what constitutes effective accommodation in libraries have necessarily changed since Ranganathan's time, especially in the US with the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.3 While the act only outlines the minimum requirements for compliance, putting the user first by asserting that "books are for use" should encourage us to think further about what users need for access, not just what we are required to provide for them. As noted by Bonjack in a 2017 MLA presentation, universal design—that is, designing for a wide variety of needs, rather than merely offering accommodations for individual users or user groups—can provide equitable solutions in music library design.4 The emphasis in music scholarship and performance on historically canonized materials creates both an opportunity and a challenge in diversifying music library instruction. Helping students reconsider dependence on a canon of works and composers whose staying power is often the result of privilege on the part of the composer is a first step towards teaching our users to think independently about the role of diversity in [End Page 260] music and requires deliberate efforts to teach users to discover the full range of library materials. Within music librarianship, more precisely, the application of critical music information literacy—as previously outlined by Wells, Pratesi, Morris, and Berndt-Morris in this journal—is one tool to deepen education in a direction that empowers the user "to recognize and navigate the power structures that...