We strive to maintain an open dialogue between WashU staff and the communities they serve. We are committed to describing materials that meet modern standards to improve their value for users. Our priority is to improve records to mitigate harmful language by implementing critical and reparative metadata within our library collections. We seek feedback by providing applications or tools to assist in identifying collections or areas that require further attention. Because the process of strengthening our commitment to diversity is ongoing, we acknowledge this work is never completed. We will be vigilant in recognizing and adopting perspectives that enrich inclusion in the University Library.
We ascribe to the tenets of cultural humility, which emphasizes accountability, continual learning, and being critical of our policies to identify and counter institutional biases. Recognizing our own limitations is an element we recognize as crucial when describing materials that represent communities that we are not a part of.
We recognize that a significant part of our responsibilities include not just creating records for new acquisitions but to also repair and update legacy records which contain harmful language or descriptions. Harm can also come in the form of absences and under descriptions, which can obscure or marginalize the people who create or are contained in the materials. We will to listen to communities to facilitate their preferred terms and labels to improve their accessibility. We will also be transparent about our decisions to ensure that we continue to proactively improve in ways we had not previously considered.
We value and recognize the cataloging efforts of past librarians while also recognizing the inclusion of harmful language which is reflective of the time in which they were produced. Through collaboration, humility, and accountability, we facilitate the creation of records that meet the needs of our users with the intent to diminish harm. We are committed to cultivating staff who are dedicated to implementing description methods that are grounded in increasing the visibility of the previously marginalized.
Maintaining trust means engaging directly with researchers, students, faculty, and the public to incorporate their perspectives. We shape our best practices through being receptive to and developing collaborative efforts. Furthermore, we are dedicated to being direct and honest about our limitations while working to overcome them in cooperation with the people we represent and serve.
The work of improving description and access will never be complete. We will continuously reflect and critique our policies to further strengthen our goal of improving equity for all.
Our teams are focused on listening to marginalized perspectives and providing space to learn and respond to their needs. We recognize the value of leaders within communities and continue to seek their guidance in improving best practices.