<div dir="ltr">I don't remember whether or not this was shared on libs-or so thought it couldn't hurt to post it again even if it was. Obviously, I am too lazy to check the archive. ;-)<br><div><div class="gmail_quote"><br><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">***Please distribute widely and forgive cross-posting*****<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Contact:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">James LaRue<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Director<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Office for Intellectual Freedom<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><a href="mailto:jlarue@ala.org" target="_blank">jlarue@ala.org</a>
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<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">CHICAGO – Today, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach
Services announced Our Voices, an initiative to offer a template to interested libraries to promote the growth of diverse, quality content in library collections.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">Of the <a href="http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10" target="_blank">Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2015</a> (a report OIF compiles
from the media and from librarians defending books against attempts to remove them from school and public libraries), nine of the books were about diverse content. (OIF defines diverse books as books written by and about people of color, in the LGBTQIA community,
who are differently abled, and in ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.) OIF data shows that attempts to remove books with diverse content are higher than ever before.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">The number of diverse books available through mainstream publishers is also relatively low. For example, Publisher Lee & Low, using the University
of Wisconsin’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s statistics from 2016, found that only 14% of the 3,400 books written for children in 2015 were by and/or about people of color while 34% of the U.S. population are people of color. There has been an explosion
of diverse content coming from small, independent, and self-published authors. But there has been no clear channel for such content to be discovered and acquired by school and public libraries.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">“Unfortunately, smaller diverse publishing communities are often overlooked,” said Jody Gray, director, Office for Diversity, Literacy and
Outreach Services. “Given the cultural challenges we are seeing across the United States, literature must reflect all facets of society. </span><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">Our Voices</span></i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN"> will
assist with efforts to build library collection that mirror the needs of diverse users, as well as provide an opportunity for all patrons to explore life experiences other than their own.”<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">In response to these challenges, the Our Voices initiative includes steps and will document successful approaches to:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">identify small, independent, and self-published content creators in the local region<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#303030;background:white">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">connect with those content creators and other members of the reading ecosystem (especially independent booksellers and readers) for a conversation about diversity, quality, and the
value of libraries<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#303030;background:white">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">develop collections of reviewed, diverse, quality content<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#303030;background:white">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">get these collections into the local library collection<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#303030;background:white">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">allow other libraries to acquire these collections.<u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">Our Voices is committed to:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">Equitable Access. All library patrons should be able to find content in their local libraries that reflect their own lives.<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#303030;background:white">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">Diversity. We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) people of color, in the LGBTQIA community, who are differently abled, and/or who are in an ethnic, cultural,
and/or religious minority.<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#303030;background:white">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">Quality. We look for content that reflects intention, craft, and objective review.<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#303030;background:white">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">Sustainability. <i><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Our Voices</span></i> is meant to be self-sustaining, an ongoing effort effecting a permanent change in the landscape
of publishing and librarianship.<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#303030;background:white">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"" lang="EN">Preservation. The content of <i><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Our Voices</span></i> should be maintained for future readers and researchers. We will seek to find
a persistent digital repository.<u></u><u></u></span></li></ol>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">For additional information regarding Our Voices please visit <a href="http://ourvoiceschicago.ala.org/" target="_blank">http://ourvoiceschicago.ala.<wbr>org</a>
.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">About the American Library Association<br>
The American Library Association (ALA), the voice of America's libraries, is the oldest, largest and most influential library association in the world. Its more than 57,000 members are primarily librarians but also trustees, publishers and other library supporters.
The association represents all types of libraries; its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">About the Office for Intellectual Freedom<br>
The Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is charged with implementing ALA policies concerning the concept of intellectual freedom as embodied in the <a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill" target="_blank">Library Bill of Rights</a>, the Association’s
basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#303030" lang="EN">About the Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services<br>
Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services serves the membership through its initiatives and programs, resource development, active consultations and training on diversity issues that impact the profession, the workplace and information service delivery.
The Office also maintains an active recruitment program for people of color to the library profession known as the Spectrum Initiative.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">View the full press release here:
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a href="http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2016/09/ala-office-intellectual-freedom-launches-our-voices" target="_blank">http://www.ala.org/news/press-<wbr>releases/2016/09/ala-office-<wbr>intellectual-freedom-launches-<wbr>our-voices</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Our Voices<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Facebook: Our Voices Chicago<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Twitter: @OurVoicesChi<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Instagram: OurVoicesChi<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Hashtag: #ourvoiceschi<br clear="all">
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<p class="MsoNormal">-- <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Shumeca Pickett</span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Founder & Principal Consultant</span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Alfred Dewitt Ard</span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">C: <a href="tel:%28312%29%20533%20-%208288" value="+13125338288" target="_blank">(312) 533 - 8288</a></span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="http://www.alfreddewittard.com/" target="_blank">www.alfreddewittard.com</a></span><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="cid:B33581A0-5247-42A8-857C-50A8F4427B7D@ala.org" name="m_1924457499362714912_Our Voices Badge_Take Pledge.jpg" width="560" border="0" height="442"><img src="cid:CC9B52CC-B83F-4ECA-BF05-9C62325D5708@ala.org" name="m_1924457499362714912_Our Voices Badge_We Pledge.jpg" width="560" border="0" height="442"><img src="cid:55C06148-CA13-46FE-A5D8-DEDBD1C64830@ala.org" name="m_1924457499362714912_Our Voices Badge_I Pledge.jpg" width="560" border="0" height="442"><u></u><u></u></p>
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<div style="background:transparent;border:none;clear:both;display:block;float:none">____________<br>To subscribe, unsubscribe or manage your account go to: <a href="http://lists.ala.org/sympa/info/glbtrt-l" target="_blank">http://lists.ala.org/sympa/<wbr>info/glbtrt-l</a></div></div>
</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt">Diedre Conkling</span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"><br><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Lincoln County Library District</span></i><br><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">P.O. Box 2027</span></i><br><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Newport, OR 97365</span></i><br><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Phone & Fax: 541-265-3066</span></i><br><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Work email</span></i></span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt;font-style:normal">: </span></i><a href="mailto:diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"><font color="#0000ff">diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org</font></span></i></a><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"><br><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Home email: </span></i></span></i><a href="mailto:diedre08@gmail.com" target="_blank"><i><span style="color:blue;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt">diedre08@gmail.com</span></i></a></div>
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<span>“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”―Maya Angelou</span><span></span></h6><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"></span></div></div>
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