Foreword by Cynthia Sturgis Landrum

The development of cultural competency skills and social awareness benefits LIS students, their future employers, and the library profession at large―not to mention library customers and society as a whole. Cooke's freshly updated text introduces readers to the contexts and situations that promote the development of empathy and build cultural competence. It marshals cutting edge research and relevant best practices to give readers a strong grasp of the political, social, economic, and technological divides among library patrons. It also covers outreach and library services to diverse populations, how to evaluate such services, and many other key topics. Complete with an updated syllabus, lesson plans, and exercises ready-made for course use, Cooke’s text

• demonstrates why social responsibility is a foundational value of librarianship;
• considers library services to members of marginalized racial or ethnic groups, older adults, people with mental health or physical disabilities, neurodiverse library users, refugees and immigrants, people experiencing homelessness or hunger, those growing up in or experiencing poverty, members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, and people who are incarcerated;
• features a myriad of testimonials drawn from a wide variety of settings that highlight the experiences of library and museum practitioners who are working with diverse populations;
• introduces a new model of cultural competence and cultural humility;
• authoritatively covers such essential concepts as intersectionality, privilege, marginalization, cultural competence, cultural humility, and counter-storytelling along with discussions of how they interplay in the communities that libraries serve;
• explores the impact of overwhelming whiteness of the library profession and what can be done to recruit, welcome, mentor, and retain racially and ethnically diverse library workers; and
• identifies potential employment and networking opportunities related to diversity and social justice in librarianship.

Nicole A. Cooke is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and professor at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina. Her research and teaching interests include human information behavior (particularly in an online context), critical cultural information studies, and diversity and social justice in librarianship (with an emphasis on infusing them into LIS education and pedagogy). She was named a “Mover & Shaker” by Library Journal in 2007 and was the 2016 recipient of ALA's Equality Award and the 2017 Achievement in Library Diversity Research Award presented by ALA's Office for Diversity, Literacy & Outreach. She has edited and authored several books, including Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-Truth Era, The Legacy of Black Women in Librarianship: When They Dared to Be Powerful, and the forthcoming textbook Foundations of Social Justice. Dr. Cooke was honored with the 2024 Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service in the profession of librarianship. She is also the editor of ALA Neal-Schuman’s Critical Cultural Information Studies series.

Foreword: The Phoropter Approach to Framing IDEAs Learning and Activism 
by Cynthia Sturgis Landrum

Preface: We Will Not Be Erased—A Manifesto for Library Liberation, Justice, and Transformation 
by Nicole A. Cooke

Introduction

Chapter 1    Introduction to Diversity, Inclusion, and Information Services

Testimonial from the Field 

• "Champions of American History" by Ashley Jordan

Chapter 2    Developing Competent Humility 

Testimonials from the Field 

• "Peacebuilding: A School Librarian’s Journey to Serve with Empathy and Love" by Christopher A. Stewart 
• "Navigating an Untraditional Career Path" by Stephanie Sendaula 
• "From Conversation to Action" by Yasmeen Shorish 
• "Leading by Example" by Christy James

Chapter 3    A Sampling of Diverse Populations

Testimonials from the Field 

• "To Be Together or to Stand Apart: A Brief Exploration of Latinidad and Library Services in the United States" by Mónica Colón-Aguirre 
• "Information and Service Needs for Older Adults" by Joseph Winberry 
• "Belonging" by Jennie Marie Durán 
• "Reexamining Longstanding Practices" by Pambanisha Whaley 
• Jail and Reentry Services by Jeanie Austin 
• Working with Emerging Doctoral Students by Jamillah R. Gabriel

Chapter 4    Services to Diverse Populations

Testimonials from the Field 

• "Social Work" by Damien T. Frierson 
• "Library Outreach" by Brittany N. Champion

Chapter 5    Managing IDEAS

Testimonials from the Field 

• "Building a Privilege Layer Cake: The Value of Engaging in Conversations around Privilege in the Library Workplace" by Kawanna M. Bright 
• "Fresh Leadership: Leading and Managing with Kindness, Authority, and Humility" by Randy Dantrell Heath

Chapter 6    Becoming New Storytellers: Counter-Storytelling in LIS

Testimonial from the Field 

• "A Pathway to Support and Collaboration" by Rhonda Evans

Appendixes

• Appendix A: Sample Syllabus and Reading Lists 
• Appendix B: Sample Assignments and Exercises 
• Appendix C: Building Your Privilege Layer Cake 
• Appendix D Professional Organizations, Conferences, and Initiatives Related to Diversity

Index