The Glen Ridge Public Library is a place where everyone should be safe, welcomed, and respected in experiences including, but not limited to:
Inclusive library services are holistic, spanning library policies, collections, space, and services. Inclusive services reflect equity and accessibility for all members of the community. Diverse communities are strengthened by libraries that intentionally develop and deliver services to individuals or groups for whom accessing and using the library is difficult, limited, or minimized.
The library director and board of trustees will provide awareness and leadership concerning the concept and implementation of inclusive services to library staff and stakeholders. The Glen Ridge Public Library will participate in and follow the directives created by the New Jersey State Library and the New Jersey Library Association’s EDI framework where possible and applicable.
The practice of providing inclusive services requires continuous reflection and ongoing dialogue with and between library administration, staff, and members of the community, with particular emphasis on including the voices of those who are underserved, underrepresented, and underrecognized within the community. Efforts should respond to the assets and needs of non-library users and users alike. Attention to actual, versus perceived, assets and needs is paramount; i.e. a barrier perceived by library staff may or may not be an actual barrier experienced by the user.
On a concrete level, inclusive services should be visibly incorporated into all library services. The concept that libraries are for everyone should be evident through every point of access or interaction with the library. A person’s race, ethnicity, age, citizenship, literacy level, ability, family structure, income level, health status, gender identity, sexuality, style of dress, familiarity with public libraries - or any other dimension of identity - should neither negatively influence nor interfere with access to library services.
When libraries honor the full diversity of their communities, communities thrive. Our common goal is to improve life and learning opportunities for all library users.
Approved by the Glen Ridge Library Board of Trustees on October 12, 2022
Printable Version
- Arrival at the building (transportation, physical accessibility, signage, hours of service, greetings by library staff)
- Intersections with library policies (getting a library card, using a computer, paying a fine)
- Perusal, use, and request of library materials (Wi-Fi access, collection diversity, individual privacy)
- Participation in library-sponsored or library-located events (marketing of events, time and location, transportation, registration, room set-up, novice-friendly vs. designed for frequent users)
- Interactions with library staff (body language, tone, diversity of library staff, proactive/reactive engagement)
- Passive and virtual interactions through library signage, webpages, displays, and marketing (readability, tone, diversity, accommodations)
Inclusive library services are holistic, spanning library policies, collections, space, and services. Inclusive services reflect equity and accessibility for all members of the community. Diverse communities are strengthened by libraries that intentionally develop and deliver services to individuals or groups for whom accessing and using the library is difficult, limited, or minimized.
The library director and board of trustees will provide awareness and leadership concerning the concept and implementation of inclusive services to library staff and stakeholders. The Glen Ridge Public Library will participate in and follow the directives created by the New Jersey State Library and the New Jersey Library Association’s EDI framework where possible and applicable.
The practice of providing inclusive services requires continuous reflection and ongoing dialogue with and between library administration, staff, and members of the community, with particular emphasis on including the voices of those who are underserved, underrepresented, and underrecognized within the community. Efforts should respond to the assets and needs of non-library users and users alike. Attention to actual, versus perceived, assets and needs is paramount; i.e. a barrier perceived by library staff may or may not be an actual barrier experienced by the user.
On a concrete level, inclusive services should be visibly incorporated into all library services. The concept that libraries are for everyone should be evident through every point of access or interaction with the library. A person’s race, ethnicity, age, citizenship, literacy level, ability, family structure, income level, health status, gender identity, sexuality, style of dress, familiarity with public libraries - or any other dimension of identity - should neither negatively influence nor interfere with access to library services.
When libraries honor the full diversity of their communities, communities thrive. Our common goal is to improve life and learning opportunities for all library users.
Approved by the Glen Ridge Library Board of Trustees on October 12, 2022
Printable Version
