1 of 29

Lessons From the Tortoise: Rethinking Diversity Beyond the 'Body Count'

​

Tina Liu

Cataloguing Librarian, McGill University

Tina.liu@mcgill.ca

​

Jennie Fallis

Liaison Librarian, McGill University

Jennie.fallis@mcgill.ca

2 of 29

3 of 29

Agenda

  1. What's the point of EDI?
  2. Findings from a Critical Discourse Analysis
  3. Intro to Slow: Doing Less with Less

4 of 29

Note on Terminology: What is EDI?

  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion
    • This is the most common iteration in Canada.
  • Often referred to as DEI in the United States
  • Other iterations include: DEIB, IDEAR, IDEAL, JEDI, etc.
  • Often an umbrella term for a variety of terms, approaches, and values closely related to social justice movements.

5 of 29

Part One

WHAT IS THE POINT OF EDI?

6 of 29

  • EDI is an organizational framework, not a social justice framework.
  • It is currently the dominant framework for addressing systemic inequities.
  • Several events in the early 2020s drew increased attention to EDI:
    • 2020 murder of George Floyd.
    • 2020-2022 surge in anti-Asian hate crimes.
    • 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action.
  • But! EDI is not a new framework.

​

​

On Critiquing EDI

7 of 29

  • 1984: Abella Commission in Canada
  • 1961: Executive Order 10925 in United States
  • 1865: Special Field Orders No. 15 in United States

In libraries:

  • 2000: ARL Kaleidoscope Program
  • 1998: ALA Spectrum Scholarship
  • 1927: First Black Library Conference
  • 1921: ALA Work With Negros Round Table established

​

​

A Brief History of non-EDI EDI

8 of 29

  • EDI is a "get-out-of-jail-free" card for institutions to rehabilitate their images.
  • EDI often borrows social justice language.
  • However, the goals of EDI and social justice are fundamentally opposed.
    • Social justice emphasizes bottom-up support for marginalized communities.
    • EDI is a top-down imposition of initiatives with the primary purpose of defending the interests of institutions.

​

​

​

EDI vs. Social Justice

9 of 29

  • It is a "doctrine about how politics and the economy should be organized" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
  • It generally "embraces robust liberal capitalism, constitutional democracy, and a modest welfare state" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

​

​

​

On Neoliberalism

10 of 29

  • Four key characteristics:
    • Efficiency
      • Eg. Patrons carry out the labour of checking out library materials with self check-outs
      • Eg. Standardized one-shot library instruction sessions that cover the same content across multiple fields
    • Calculability
      • Eg. Keeping extensive statistics on item usage, reference transactions, cataloguing, and inter-library loan activity
    • Predictability
      • Eg. Little variance in library collections and services provided across institutions
    • Control
      • Eg. Bureaucratic accountability keeps workers in line through regular evaluations and personal goals that are screened and approved by administrators

​

​

Neoliberalism, McDonaldization and Academic Libraries

11 of 29

  • Emphasizes singular, procedural approaches over a holistic, processual approach
  • “Instructional design models became popular after being developed to efficiently and systematically instill specific abilities in military and industry personnel” (Pagowsky, 2015)
  • ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy emphasizes formulaic practical lessons
  • Neoliberal doctrine’s emphasis on efficiency, standardization, and quantifiable measures of success created a system where institutions must justify their organizational decisions with immediate, short-term gains

​

​

The Skills Agenda and Information Literacy

12 of 29

  • Organizational emphasis on measurable short term gains impoverishes how we interpret the value and purpose of EDI
  • Academic libraries focus EDI efforts on internships, residency programs, mentorship, and surveys because they’re viewed as easier goals to reach (Kung et al., 2020)
  • By prioritizing short-term planning, EDI practices tend to revolve around the lowest hanging fruit

​

​

Setting EDI Up to Fail

13 of 29

  • The “expectations and assumptions about the practical character and value of our field subtly police the work we end up doing and supporting” (Hudson, 2017)
  • Diverse representation is overemphasized because it is the most visible
  • Stopping EDI initiatives at representation reduces racialized library workers to a body count (Bright, 2022)

​

​

​

The Superficiality of EDI

14 of 29

  • Nancy Leong (2013) identifies two forms of diversity:
    • Thick diversity is inclusive and benefits people and institutions
    • Thin diversity is exclusively concerned with the superficial appearance of diversity
  • “Diversity is the common-sense language of racial liberalism, the ready-to-wear, one-size-fits-all analytic available for the presumably simple, utilitarian task of transmitting anti-racism in the library world” (Hudson, 2017)

​

​

On Diversity

15 of 29

  • “Reject the capitalist drive to constantly churn out new products and instead take a stand to support more reflective and responsive practices” (Glassman, 2017)
  • “Anti-racist, responsive, and values-driven practice that stands in opposition to neoliberal values” (Farkas, 2021)

​

​

Slow Librarianship

16 of 29

Part Two

DIGGING INTO INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES

17 of 29

  • Selection criteria:
    • Geography

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis I

18 of 29

  • Selection criteria:
    • Unique approaches to EDI

​

​

​

​

​

​

  • We are not making any moral judgements about how these specific institutions approach EDI.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis II

Scan for article

19 of 29

  • Review of roughly 40 EDI web pages, plans, reports and policy documents at these 5 Canadian institutions:

​

    • University of British Columbia
    • University of Calgary
    • Queen’s University
    • Concordia University
    • Dalhousie University

​

​

​

​

Critical Discourse Analysis

​

20 of 29

  • Centralized Equity and Inclusion Office, although multiple departments have separate plans
  • Significant cognitive dissonance between the social justice language used to acknowledge systemic harm and the corporate language used to describe activities
  • The neoliberal doctrine’s relationship with globalization raises some concern about meeting local needs within the local context
  • The reliance of EDI on data collection raises questions about additional surveillance on marginalized communities

​

University of British Columbia

21 of 29

  • Does not have a centralized EDI plan but they refer to the Dimensions Charter
  • Relies heavily on numeric measures to evaluate the success of EDI initiatives
  • Unclear how data storage practices will protect respondents from marginalized communities
  • Increased acknowledge of the narrative of EDI undermining meritocracy relative to other institutions

University of Calgary

22 of 29

  • EDI efforts more recent than the other institutions we examined for this chapter
  • Centralized EDI hierarchy, Associate Vice Principal of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion
  • Does not have a single institutional EDI plan or library EDI action plan, some faculties/departments have individual plans
  • Focus on numerical success of EDI initiatives, use of QEAP for managing metrics
  • Strategic Plan 2025-2028 heavily focused on institutional expansion globally, conflation of identity between racialized and international individuals

Queen's University

23 of 29

  • Centralized Equity Office which oversees institutional EDI efforts
  • Institutional EDI Framework and Reports instead of Action Plan
  • Accelerated consultation processes
  • Focus on Offices running community initiatives
  • Use of terms "decolonization" and "indigenization" reinforces status quo

​

​

​

Concordia University

24 of 29

  • Centralized EDI Office and Action Plan
  • Volume of institutional EDI documentation notable
  • Strongly encourages individual units to create EDI plans, including the library
  • Shared goals & citizen responsibilization: "we", "civic university", "shared responsibility"
  • Use of tactic and militarized language for implementation of EDI strategy

​

​

Dalhousie University

25 of 29

  • Examination of institutional policy documents
    • Use of language and control of discourse
    • Newness
    • Globalization and expansion
    • Numerical success and data collection
    • Confusion of what is and is not EDI

​

  • Why is this review important?
    • Additional emotional labour
    • Not serving intended communities
    • Focus on hiring rather than retention of racialized librarians

​

​

Main Takeaways

26 of 29

Part Three

INTRO TO SLOW

27 of 29

  • What does slow look like in practice?�
    • Slowing down
    • Doing "less with less"
    • Moving away from corporatism and capitalist values
    • Suggestions not answers, one size does not fit all
    • Retention as "intentional staying"
    • Success not measured by metrics

​

​

​

​

​

​

PART 4: Intro to slow

28 of 29

  • Rethinking EDI
  • Change does not have to be complicated
  • Moving away from constant or elaborate production
  • The benefits of integrating slow into EDI functions

​

Final Takeaways & Questions

29 of 29

  • Contact us:
  • Further reading:

Thank You!

Scan for article