The Minnesota State Library Authority, led by Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz, plans to hold a BIPOC-only “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color” camp for library staff next month, the agency has learned. This was revealed in the document. Daily Caller News Foundation.
Officials say the event is aimed at “helping library staff connect with other BIPOC staff.” Pre-conference event agenda. Minnesota State Library Services will cover lodging, meals, and other costs for participants.
“Especially for BIPOC library workers in Minnesota.”
The news organization said the conference's registration form allowed interested attendees to select their race and sexuality, specifically excluding “white” and “heterosexual.”
“Join the Minnesota State Library Service BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Library Advisory Group for a day of professional development and networking designed specifically for BIPOC library workers in Minnesota ” says the event description. Virtual registration form Retrieved by DNCF.
Nicole Cook, a professor of library and information science at the University of South Carolina, is one of the event's scheduled keynote speakers, according to an agenda obtained by the outlet.
Earlier this year, Cook won an award for “improvisation.”[ing] “Diversity in Librarianship.” announcement From university.
“Some of our students didn't have educators of color as professors, but South Carolina, where most graduates work after graduation, is full of diverse communities,” Cook said. “My work would not be successful if I did not prepare students to best serve the communities in which they will work. It means educating about issues of justice.”
Cook said she has experienced “microaggressions and racism” firsthand from other co-workers and patrons throughout her career. She received the grant in 2017. study “Racial microaggressions in libraries,” the DNCF reported.
She had previously claimed that it was.equivalent to medical malpractice” Bringing students into the workforce without first educating them about DEI.
Minnesota State Library Services Director Tamara Lee has also expressed a commitment to promoting “racial equity in libraries,” according to her LinkedIn profile, DCNF reported. She previously co-authored piece On ensuring children have “racially diverse, equitable, and inclusive” reading time.
“Indifference, ignorance, and racism are all possible reasons to avoid including racial diversity in storytime,” the article says.
Lee, the Harris-Waltz campaign, the Minnesota Governor's Office and the Minnesota Department of Libraries did not respond to DCNF's requests for comment.
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