<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Dear colleagues,<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (TFEDI) was created in the spring of 2014 by then ALA President Barbara Stripling.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Before moving forward with programs, actions, or recommendations, the members of the Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion believe it is important to understand the culture of the association, the profession, and our communities with respect to equity, diversity and inclusion. These short surveys are an opportunity to include input and ideas from the professional community while complementing the rich data collection efforts of the larger association.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The Task Force recognizes that incidents of racial bias and injustice continue to occur across the country on a regular basis. This survey, however, focuses on planned attendance in Orlando (the location that prompted the creation of the Task Force), but that will have implications for future ALA conference locations. This survey is brief and intended to gather information based on your thoughts regarding conference locations as well as to follow up on responses from the first survey.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The survey can be accessed at </span><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tfedi2" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tfedi2</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Responses will be collected through <span class="" tabindex="0"><span class="">Aug. 15, 2015</span></span>. ALA members and nonmembers are encouraged to participate.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Please take a few minutes to answer the survey, which should take no more than seven minutes to complete.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s charge is to develop a plan and strategic actions to build more equity, diversity and inclusion among our members, the field of librarianship and our communities. The most important Task Force outcome is the public and honest conversation generated by its plan and recommended actions. The final Task Force report will include recommendations for ensuring that a continuing focus on equity, diversity and inclusion is embedded throughout the ALA organization.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Thanks in advance for participating in this important survey and please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or feedback.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Sincerely,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Max Macias </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div>The ideas expressed in these emails in no way represent any organization's viewpoints, or opinions.  The opinions, ideas and reflections are my own personal intellectual property.<br><div><br><br><br><br><a href="http://lowriderlibrarian.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://lowriderlibrarian.blogspot.com/</a><br><br><br>Twitter feed:<br><a href="http://twitter.com/REFORMAnet" target="_blank"></a><br><a href="http://twitter.com/maxmacias" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/maxmacias</a><br></div></div></div>
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