[Libs-Or] About the Petition to the State Library of Oregon

[Penelope Hummel]

Thanks, Kate!  I am generally aware of the substantive work that OLA has been doing to address EDIA issues, but that said, I really appreciate this delineation you’ve provided of the multiple steps taken to make progress.  Like many other OLA members, I applaud this work.  

I think where you and I differ is whether the laudable goals of EDIA justify the approach that has been taken on the petition.  I do not think they do, and I do not think that just because I don’t, that I don’t stand with my colleagues of color or need to take a closer look at their cause because I do not understand it.  Obviously, you see this differently, and I’m glad to have your perspective.  Thanks again.  

 

Penny Hummel 

PENNY HUMMEL CONSULTING  

penny at pennyhummel.com | 503.890.0494 | www.pennyhummel.com 

 

Ensuring that libraries survive and thrive in challenging times

 

 

From: OLA Past President <olapastpresident at olaweb.org>
Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 8:46 AM
To: Penelope Hummel <penny at pennyhummel.com>
Cc: Marci Jenkins <marci.r.jenkins at outlook.com>, libs-or <libs-or at omls.oregon.gov>, reforma_or <reforma_or at omls.oregon.gov>
Subject: Re: [Libs-Or] About the Petition to the State Library of Oregon

 

Hi Penny,

You bring up many points that I’d like to address, none less important than the value we all share for equity in our profession. As the immediate past president of OLA and a current member of the executive board, I see this moment as an opportunity to build solidarity and reflect on our performance as librarians.

At the February meeting, the OLA board voted to endorse the petition to the State Library of Oregon to Break the Library Institutional Reliance on Unpaid BIPOC Labor. I voted “yes” to the endorsement and witnessed not only unanimous support from the board, but echoed enthusiasm for the cause. Board members were not coerced or intimidated into voting yes. 

OLA updated its strategic plan in December 2020 to include a focus area to actively commit to being an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist organization. This recent update was pivotal for the association and reflects the organization’s initiative to improve diversity within OLA through recruitment, retention, and support. This means that we agreed to take action in support of librarians of color in our association and in the field of librarianship. 

The OLA EDI Antiracism Committee is made up of primarily black and brown librarians who helped draft the petition and present it to the OLA board. The OLA board did not edit the voice of the petition. I read the petition thoroughly and voted to support the whole statement, including the name of OLA’s president-elect, the first person of color to serve as Oregon Library Association president. 

The OLA board benefits from an excellent relationship with the State Library of Oregon. We consulted with State Library leaders about the petition. We agreed to hold this public dialogue to raise awareness together. The OLA board and the State Library understand that any new or temporary position in state government must be open and competitive.

The petition and the dialogue it created is a demonstration of the social justice necessary to raise awareness about how to recruit, retain, and support librarians of color.  

I’m not sure there can be anything such as an “appropriate” petition that addresses the need for social justice. Social justice is not a bureaucratic process. New pathways must be forged. The petition represents a new way to support librarians of color and the leaders they choose.  

The petition illustrates the need for change. The request is authentic. It doesn’t fit into the status quo because the status quo is the problem. This is our opportunity to support our colleagues who are suffering and demonstrate our solidarity as a community. I stand in support of my colleagues of color. 

Please take a closer look at this cause. 

 

Kate Lasky

2022 Immediate Past President 

Oregon Library Association

 

On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 8:37 AM Penelope Hummel via Libs-Or <libs-or at omls.oregon.gov> wrote:

Thank you, Marci.  I’m sure you are right when you say that no one at OLA raised any concerns to you about the content of the petition.  I believe that the petition moved forward under two possible scenarios:  

--If no one on the OLA Executive Board had any concerns about the content of the petition, then I question the current board’s understanding of conflict of interest and general appropriateness (since I don’t think a petition promoting the job candidacy of anyone—even someone NOT on the OLA board—is appropriate coming from the OLA Executive Board)

 

 

--If there were members of the OLA Executive Board that DID have concerns about the content of the petition, but apparently did not feel they could share them, then I would ask the board collectively why that was the case.  And I would ask what needs to happen within the discourse of the OLA Executive Board so that there is inclusion of diverse and differing points of view, and to create an environment where people feel safe disagreeing with each other.  Groupthink does not result in productive outcomes.  

I leave this feedback to you and your colleagues on the OLA Executive Board to explore as you choose.  Thanks-- 

 

Penny Hummel 

PENNY HUMMEL CONSULTING  

penny at pennyhummel.com | 503.890.0494 | www.pennyhummel.com 

 

Ensuring that libraries survive and thrive in challenging times

 

 

From: Marci Jenkins <marci.r.jenkins at outlook.com>
Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 8:00 AM
To: libs-or <libs-or at omls.oregon.gov>, reforma_or <reforma_or at omls.oregon.gov>, Penelope Hummel <penny at pennyhummel.com>
Subject: Re: [Libs-Or] About the Petition to the State Library of Oregon

 

Thank you Penelope for expressing your concerns. I cannot speak on behalf of the State Library of Oregon and I am certainly not speaking on behalf of every single member of the OLA Executive Board, however, as I mentioned before, this petition was previously discussed with both organizations and no similar concerns were brought to my attention. I would not pursue an idea or initiative if any of those were flagged as offensive, demanding or illegal by the State Library of Oregon or "harmful" by the Oregon Library Association. 

On the topic of optical and performative allyship.  I would like to take the opportunity to share with you and all a great article that speaks to this exact scenario.

https://www.wocandlib.org/features/2021/9/3/statement-against-white-appropriation-of-black-indigenous-and-people-of-colors-labor

Have a great day
Marci

 

 

On Feb 14, 2022 at 4:49 PM, Penelope Hummel <penny at pennyhummel.com> wrote: 

Marci, you have made substantial contributions to the Oregon library community and have rightfully earned the respect that has resulted from that effort.  My response to your e-mail here is to provide a perspective that might be helpful in understanding why some people (including myself) have concerns about the petition. As a library professional and a past president of the Oregon Library Association, the following issues came up for me when I read it:  

The appropriateness of a petition that requests the State Library of Oregon create a new staff position while also making the case for who the perfect candidate for that position would be.  This issue is heightened when the person named (as you have shared) is also the author of the petition. 
The optics of the OLA Executive Board endorsing such a petition when the president of OLA is an employee of the State Library of Oregon and when the president-elect of OLA is the person named in the petition as the perfect candidate for the position. Both of these situations constitute a conflict of interest.  Collectively, they give the impression (whether true or not) of cronyism. Since I believe that this aspect of the petition’s content is harmful to OLA’s reputation, I am disappointed that this petition was endorsed by the OLA Executive Committee.  The rightfulness of the larger cause the petition is advocating for does not cancel out this harm.  OLA’s future success in its statewide advocacy work for Oregon libraries is contingent upon its reputation as a fair and ethical organization.  


Below, you have stated “So called "allies" must refrain from professing allyship to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Antiracism, especially if they are not interested in public solidarity and only in performative or optical allyship.”This implies that the only action that can be considered true allyship is expressing public solidarity and agreement with everything you have put forth.  To me, that’s a rather high and unfortunate bar. I have to wonder whether some of those within OLA who endorsed this petition had mixed feelings about the part that recommends a particular person for the SOL position, but did not feel they could speak up because they feared being condemned as non-allies. If I’m right about that, what might have resulted had they felt comfortable sharing this input could have been a stronger document—a petition clearly focused on advocating for increased EDIA support for Oregon libraries, vs. one that has unfortunately gotten sidetracked by another issue. 


Our collective work as library professionals is strengthened by the open exchange of ideas, the ability to disagree and still respect each other, and the willingness to learn from each other.  It is in this spirit that I share my thoughts today. 

Thank you and best wishes,  

 

Penny Hummel 

PENNY HUMMEL CONSULTING  

penny at pennyhummel.com | 503.890.0494 | www.pennyhummel.com 

 

Ensuring that libraries survive and thrive in challenging times

 

 

From: Libs-Or <libs-or-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> on behalf of Marci Ramiro-Jenkins via Libs-Or <libs-or at omls.oregon.gov>
Reply-To: Marci Ramiro-Jenkins <marci.r.jenkins at outlook.com>
Date: Monday, February 14, 2022 at 1:33 PM
To: "libs-or at omls.oregon.gov" <libs-or at omls.oregon.gov>, "reforma_or at omls.oregon.gov" <reforma_or at omls.oregon.gov>
Subject: [Libs-Or] About the Petition to the State Library of Oregon

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

About a week ago the Oregon Library Association (OLA) distributed the petition below to its membership as part of an advocacy effort for Equity, Diversity Inclusion and Antiracism (EDIA) in libraries. This petition was written by me, edited, and proofread by a group of EDIA supports and BIPOC library workers. 

 

This petition is endorsed by the Oregon Library Association Executive Board and by the OLA Equity Diversity Inclusion and Antiracism Committee. Meetings were conducted to discuss the idea of this petition and a review period to receive feedback from both groups was open for several weeks until the petition passed by vote on February 4th, 2022. This petition was also discussed with a representative from the State Library of Oregon in December 2021. Again, this is an advocacy effort, there are no promises, deals, offers, and/or set outcomes to favor me or anyone else involved with this petition. This is not a petition to "demand" anything, this is a petition to gauge the library community interest and an attempt to bring awareness to the invisible labor imposed on BIPOC. 

 

 There is nothing new or wrong about leaders advocating for themselves and seeking the support of people who are familiar with a cause and with the hard work involved in it, especially when it is done in a non-partisan, spontaneous, unpretentious and respectful way.  

 

So called "allies" must refrain from professing allyship to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Antiracism, especially if they are not interested in public solidarity and only in performative or optical allyship. Solidarity cannot be reduced to thoughts and good wishes. Real solidarity in EDIA means power given by you to those who have been underserved, underrepresented, misled, mistreated, unseen and unheard. 

 

You can access the petition here -> https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/break-the-library-institutional-reliance-on-unpaid .  

 

*Please note, petition websites often ask for donations to maintain their platform live, no donations are being asked from my part of from the part of the groups involved with this petition. 

 

 

Thank you so much, 

Marci Ramiro-Jenkins

 

 

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