[Libs-Or] The Oregon Reference Summit presents…Disrupting Whiteness & White Supremacy in the Library on Oct 26!

[Tamara Ottum]

Join us for our next virtual presentation!

Monday, October 26, 2020
2:30 - 3:30 pm

Disrupting Whiteness & White Supremacy in the Library
Elleona Budd<https://sites.google.com/olaweb.org/oregon-reference-summit/home/presenters?authuser=0>, Multnomah County Library
In this presentation, participants will be taking a look at how whiteness and white supremacy have affected our library systems, and what we can do to be more aware of our internalized oppression(s). By analyzing our relationship to whiteness we are better able to understand the historical context behind race/social constructs, implicit biases, and how each of us play into a larger system of institutional/systemic/and structural racism. Once we are able to begin thinking about these, we are able to lessen the emotional burden on our patrons, and our colleagues in coming up with solutions on how to better diversify, and make equitable choices within our library systems. First, we will build some historical knowledge on what it means to be “white” in America, what has been lost by those who choose to pursue it, and how this social construct has led to the birth of racism. Then we will discuss how this influences our implicit biases, how pervasive these ideas are, and how this shows up in the library, and in our patron interactions. Lastly, we will discuss how we can better support one another, and mitigate some of the impacts that pursuing whiteness has on ourselves and our patrons. By looking at whiteness, we take the burden from our Black and Indigenous People of Color-- both our colleagues, and our patrons. It allows us to look rather at our relationships with ourselves, and our history, rather than relying on others sharing their traumas, and harm, as well as othering those who are not among the dominant culture.

To register, visit the Reference Summit website at tinyurl.com/OrRS2020<https://sites.google.com/olaweb.org/oregon-reference-summit/home>.

Tamara Ottum
(she/her)
State Library of Oregon | Library Support & Development Services
tamara.ottum at state.or.us<mailto:tamara.ottum at state.or.us> | 971-375-3543<http://971-375-3543/> | www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>
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