<div dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;width:336px;height:121px"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sA4Gp5ie8cXsdRg-3wTKfeAjWEeaduWfKCessr_QDMs_7ILQrXF150lMCwtxo91r7IfIfyVPATrNAs-yAFNLXjnFOvk1ncg0F6DlesbyprPc2k9p2xsKTuPyvSHZNqmrNDlryv_2Iwsn6xcbVyunkYJxRbCF7Ruh2FkqhpFWrB07hD6AEHG-S98oig" width="265" height="94" class="gmail-CToWUd" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">OLA Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Antiracism Committee Statement Calling for Meaningful Support for BIPOC Library Workers</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">   </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In response to ongoing violence against Black people in the United States, we, the OLA Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Antiracism Committee, reaffirm Black Lives Matter, and that Black people and African Americans, including library patrons and workers, are living under the weight of constant violence and other forms of discrimination and oppression. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) library workers regularly experience racism in the workplace from patrons, colleagues, and/or managers. The movement to ban books that discuss race or racism, and erase the reality of the BIPOC experience further stresses and demoralizes library workers. This trauma can be mitigated through impactful racial equity and antiracism efforts. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://bit.ly/olaediastatement1022" target="_blank">Read the rest of the statement here</a></span></p></div>