Librarians Strategically Leading the Way

The DEI Champion Spotlight features Rowan community members leading the way in DEI initiatives across campus.  Champions featured in the spotlight serve as a great example of how DEI can be reflected throughout the campus. Meet Marryam Naqvi, Senior Library Assistant, and Dr. Ashley Lierman, Instruction and Education librarian, as well as read about their important DEI initiatives in the library.

Marryam Naqvi, Senior Library Assistant

Dr. Ashley Lierman, Instruction & Education Librarian

lierman@rowan.edu

Tell us about yourself:

Marryam: I currently serve as a Senior Library Assistant at Campbell Library. My role extends to assisting the campus community with library materials and services. For the last three years, I have worked closely with our Marketing & Outreach team in diligently planning, executing and evaluating communication plans which have increased student awareness of the library’s resources. I recently graduated from Rowan’s own M.A. in Strategic Communication program, with a certificate in School Public Relations. I am passionate about higher education marketing as well as communication theory and research. Outside of the library, you can still find me with books or enjoying the great outdoors.

Ashley: I serve as the Instruction & Education Librarian at Campbell Library. My role consists of providing research and instruction support to the College of Education, as well as helping to support the library’s instructional curriculum in general, particularly as regards the development of our online learning initiatives. I’ve been an instruction librarian of one sort or another in academic libraries for almost eight years, but I specialize in online instruction, instructional design, and instructional technology. I have a Ph.D in religious studies (long story!) and an M.Ed in Learning, Design, and Technology. My other research and professional interests center around DEI issues in libraries and instruction, particularly those affecting accessibility and LGBTQ+ students, as well as the design of instruction and student support services.

Why is DEI work important?

Marryam: In 2019, I began serving on the University DEI’s Strategic Priority Committee 2, which focuses on recruitment, retention and supporting a more diverse campus community. Prior to joining this committee, I had little experience in DEI efforts in higher education. As a recent undergraduate, I was more familiar with the struggles faced as a first generation, minority college student. During my own experience, I often normalized my experience and did not advocate or ask for help. Joining SPC2 opened my eyes to the tremendous work that is being done and the focus on student self-advocacy. I became privy to an empathetic perspective for the desire to target student issues and implement change. My work with DEI has supported my professional engagement by allowing me to better understand the individual needs of each student. Since DEI issues are constantly evolving, I believe that the most important aspect of DEI is to focus on ensuring that the conversation continues, with a focus on collaboration and progress. I truly believe that there is no such thing as a small victory when it comes to creating a more inclusive world. Every person has the power to make a difference, whether that is by offering an encouraging smile or a listening ear. DEI is a collective effort, and there is always more work to be done.

Ashley: To me, DEI work has always been a matter of compassion and justice. I got my start in academia as a historian of religion and culture in the United States, and the more I studied how we came to this point and listened to my peers, the more inescapably apparent it was to me that deep inequities are entrenched in the systems that govern our lives. The only ethical and caring way to conduct oneself personally and professionally in my mind is to consistently seek out, name, and counteract those injustices as much as possible. As an educator, I feel a strong responsibility both to my students and to my colleagues, and that the greatest part of that responsibility will always be to meet the needs of those who experience the greatest disservices by institutions and individuals across their lives. Actively working toward DEI goals as a constant part of my work is a way I can begin to fulfill that responsibility.

DEI Initiatives in your department:

We established the DEI Committee for Rowan University Libraries in November of 2019, and since then we’ve developed a strategic plan consisting of three primary goals:

• Increasing the use of DEI strategies in library hiring practices
• Refining our policies, procedures, and services to make the libraries more inclusive and welcoming (which since the start of the pandemic we’ve narrowed to focus specifically on our online and virtual services)
• Routinizing professional development in the libraries for DEI awareness

Toward the first goal, we’ve just recently finished a review of the relevant literature and of other institutional hiring practices, and we are now developing a set of potential updates and revisions to our hiring procedures to propose based on this evidence. Toward the second goal, we are in the process of developing instruments and protocols for an equity audit of the library’s virtual services, which we plan to begin conducting early in 2021. And toward the third goal, we have already put several new initiatives into place, with the generous support of library administration:

• Compiling and distributing a monthly email newsletter linking to resources, professional development, news items, and university events focused on DEI issues
• Leading a brief DEI-focused activity in each of Campbell Library’s monthly all-hands meetings, usually based on short group readings or videos
• Initiating a reading and discussion group for library workers interested in going deeper with these conversations

DEI Resources you would like to share:

The African American Museum in Philadelphia’s online exhibit Rendering Justice: https://onlineexhibits.aampmuseum.org/rendering-justice#/ 

An Anti-Racist Reading List developed by librarian Bret McCandless, DEI Committee member, with recommendations from Dr. Monika Williams Shealey: https://libguides.rowan.edu/c.php?g=1045972 

A guide to selected resources on Inclusive & Anti-Racist Pedagogies, compiled by librarians and DEI Committee members Andrea Baer and Bret McCandless: https://libguides.rowan.edu/inclusive_pedagogies

The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group’s guide to 12 Inclusive Behaviors, which was the foundation for one of our library DEI activities: https://orghacking.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/47a26-consciousactionsforinclusionar.pdf