Is DEI, in the end, an excuse for more bureaucracy? Coddled Affluent Professional makes the argument that, “In fact, the radical vision centers on an even more expansive bureaucracy. Even the smallest areas previously left to discretion or negotiated interpersonally will require bureaucratization and surveillance.”
Before we called it DEI many of us worked to recruit a more diverse library work force. - In 1987 the American Library Association, Office for Library Personnel Resources (OLPR) under the legendary Margaret Myers received the World Book/ALA Goal Award for "Recruiting Tomorrow's Leaders: An Invitational Pre-Conference to Promote Diversity." In 1989 - OLPR produced the Handbook, "Each One Reach One: Recruiting for the Professional Action." - OLPR produced "Occupational Entry: Library and Information Science Students' Attitudes, Demographics and Aspirations Survey." During this time, I worked on these projects. In 1992 the ALA Recruitment Assembly was formed, with emphasis on recruitment for diversity. Some of this work provided the data for the ALA SPECTRUM scholarship program which was launched in 1998.
Of course, I took this work to my home campus where I taught LIS and used the results to make a case for scholarships and attendance to support and recruit students. I was able to visit HBCUs to make my case. I was able to attend HACU conferences.
Nearly 40 years later my campus has expanded its DEI commitment to such an extent that we now have a Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We also have DEI Officers in each College. As a unit in the College we --at the School of Information--also have a DEI Committee.
All I want--and all I have ever wanted--was a modest amount of funding to attend conferences to recruit; have $$$ for student scholarships, and work with faculty to modify and evolve our unit's curricular commitment. to DEI. There are many more people and units to report to now. That takes time from doing the work with people. The time spent crafting policies and hiring DEI staff takes me from doing the work.
Maybe it will all even out with the bigger units and the more comprehensive policies, and maybe as new people enter the university, they need to have the importance of DEI work underscored. But I would hope that there is some recognition and appreciation to those working on DEI now that there has been much effort and commitment to these principles for many years in librarianship.
I agree there has been decades of work in this direction already and some of the projects currently undertaken in the name of DEI are positive and in many cases a "rebranding" of worthwhile projects the library field would already be involved in, but I am concerned about the extra layers of bureaucracy and censoriousness underway in the name of DEI.
It's exhausting and so many new to the idea think it all has to be done from scratch. I'd like to use the paperwork time to do the work, not talk about doing the work.
And yes, I feel there is a lot of self-censoring, and less communication because of fear of misspeaking.
I think it is naive to think bureaucracy is the problem or to believe any of the DEI rhetoric. DEI is a political project to subordinate or eliminate intellectual freedom, free speech, individuality and working class-based interests. Race or “gender identity” based “goals” may or may not be reached. Either way, they are not the point.
Wow -- I read the full thread. His argument is a lot deeper than a complaint about paperwork. Coddled is devastating on the motives of DEI and specifically tags librarians as DEI leaders.
Who are they? -- "librarians, grade school teachers, assistant professors, Brooklyn-based journalists, MPHs… a jumble of ineffectual, interstitial, lower end, over credentialed white collar workers"
What do they want? -- "To no longer be unseen, subordinate, interchangeable ... They desperately want to be heard, to be consequential, to have a presence. "
How do they benefit? -- "The work is getting more exciting. You can teach black nationalism as US history in high school thanks to 1619 ... You can do your radical praxis within the field of library science."
To me, Coddled is overly harsh and dismissive. There is a lot more to it than status anxiety (why now? why this particular set of political goals?) Still, connecting librarianship's enthusiastic embrace of DEI to its traditional "we don't get no respect" anxieties rings true at a certain level.
Thanks John-- I felt Coddled's argument was good for a "discussion thread" because I see some truth in it but also feel it is overly harsh as well as not fully explanatory. Also it kinda reminded me of Annoyed Librarian.
Before we called it DEI many of us worked to recruit a more diverse library work force. - In 1987 the American Library Association, Office for Library Personnel Resources (OLPR) under the legendary Margaret Myers received the World Book/ALA Goal Award for "Recruiting Tomorrow's Leaders: An Invitational Pre-Conference to Promote Diversity." In 1989 - OLPR produced the Handbook, "Each One Reach One: Recruiting for the Professional Action." - OLPR produced "Occupational Entry: Library and Information Science Students' Attitudes, Demographics and Aspirations Survey." During this time, I worked on these projects. In 1992 the ALA Recruitment Assembly was formed, with emphasis on recruitment for diversity. Some of this work provided the data for the ALA SPECTRUM scholarship program which was launched in 1998.
Of course, I took this work to my home campus where I taught LIS and used the results to make a case for scholarships and attendance to support and recruit students. I was able to visit HBCUs to make my case. I was able to attend HACU conferences.
Nearly 40 years later my campus has expanded its DEI commitment to such an extent that we now have a Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We also have DEI Officers in each College. As a unit in the College we --at the School of Information--also have a DEI Committee.
All I want--and all I have ever wanted--was a modest amount of funding to attend conferences to recruit; have $$$ for student scholarships, and work with faculty to modify and evolve our unit's curricular commitment. to DEI. There are many more people and units to report to now. That takes time from doing the work with people. The time spent crafting policies and hiring DEI staff takes me from doing the work.
Maybe it will all even out with the bigger units and the more comprehensive policies, and maybe as new people enter the university, they need to have the importance of DEI work underscored. But I would hope that there is some recognition and appreciation to those working on DEI now that there has been much effort and commitment to these principles for many years in librarianship.
I agree there has been decades of work in this direction already and some of the projects currently undertaken in the name of DEI are positive and in many cases a "rebranding" of worthwhile projects the library field would already be involved in, but I am concerned about the extra layers of bureaucracy and censoriousness underway in the name of DEI.
It's exhausting and so many new to the idea think it all has to be done from scratch. I'd like to use the paperwork time to do the work, not talk about doing the work.
And yes, I feel there is a lot of self-censoring, and less communication because of fear of misspeaking.
I'd like to use the paperwork time to do the work, not talk about doing the work-- seconded!
I think it is naive to think bureaucracy is the problem or to believe any of the DEI rhetoric. DEI is a political project to subordinate or eliminate intellectual freedom, free speech, individuality and working class-based interests. Race or “gender identity” based “goals” may or may not be reached. Either way, they are not the point.
Wow -- I read the full thread. His argument is a lot deeper than a complaint about paperwork. Coddled is devastating on the motives of DEI and specifically tags librarians as DEI leaders.
Who are they? -- "librarians, grade school teachers, assistant professors, Brooklyn-based journalists, MPHs… a jumble of ineffectual, interstitial, lower end, over credentialed white collar workers"
What do they want? -- "To no longer be unseen, subordinate, interchangeable ... They desperately want to be heard, to be consequential, to have a presence. "
How do they benefit? -- "The work is getting more exciting. You can teach black nationalism as US history in high school thanks to 1619 ... You can do your radical praxis within the field of library science."
To me, Coddled is overly harsh and dismissive. There is a lot more to it than status anxiety (why now? why this particular set of political goals?) Still, connecting librarianship's enthusiastic embrace of DEI to its traditional "we don't get no respect" anxieties rings true at a certain level.
Thanks John-- I felt Coddled's argument was good for a "discussion thread" because I see some truth in it but also feel it is overly harsh as well as not fully explanatory. Also it kinda reminded me of Annoyed Librarian.
I see that. Maybe he is the Annoyed Librarian ...