Check this out:

Project READY: Re-imagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth

This sounds like such a great continuing education program – and it’s all free!

” This site hosts a series of free, online professional development modules for school and public youth services librarians, library administrators, and others interested in improving their knowledge about race and racism, racial equity, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The primary focus of the Project READY curriculum is on improving relationships with, services to, and resources for youth of color and Native youth. “

“Research shows that youth services library staff in both public and school libraries recognize the need for professional and personal knowledge related to race and racism and anti-racist work (Hughes-Hassell & Stivers, 2015); however, there are currently few comprehensive resources that specifically address the needs of library professionals. …

“The Project READY curriculum addresses this gap in existing professional development opportunities for youth services library staff. The curriculum aims to do the following:

  • introduce youth services library staff to research in areas such as race and racism, critical theory, and culturally responsive or sustaining pedagogy.
  • establish a shared understanding of foundational concepts and issues related to race, racism, and racial equity.
  • encourage self-reflection related to race and racial identity for both white and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) library staff in public and school libraries.
  • amplify the work of practitioners and scholars who are providing inclusive and culturally responsive services for youth of color and Indigenous youth.
  • provide concrete strategies for creating and/or improving library programs and services for Black youth, Indigenous youth, and children and teens of color.

No matter where you are on your own personal and professional racial equity journey, this curriculum offers opportunities to deepen and extend your understanding:

  • If you are new to racial equity work, Project READY will help you build a solid foundation for future exploration.
  • If you are already familiar with some of the foundational concepts covered here, Project READY will refresh your prior knowledge and give you tools to translate your knowledge into improved professional practice.
  • If you are already deeply familiar with issues related to race and racism, Project READY can give you a starting point for discussions with colleagues who are not, and can give you additional real-world examples of how libraries are enacting racial equity work.”

Check out the material below:

Colleagues-

Today, we are excited to announce that the Project READY (Reimagining Equity and Access for Diverse Youth) online racial equity curriculum is live and accessible at ready.web.unc.edu. We will be promoting the curriculum on the exhibit hall at ALA’s annual conference in Washington, DC – Booth 2650. We invite you to stop by and preview Project READY!

The curriculum, funded by IMLS, consists of 27 modules, designed to be worked through by individuals or small groups. Modules are organized into three sequential sections. The first section (Foundations) focuses on basic concepts and issues that are fundamental to understanding race and racism and their impact on library services. The second section (Transforming Practice) explores how these foundational concepts relate to and can be applied in library environments. Finally, the third section (Continuing the Journey) explores how library professionals can sustain racial equity work and grow personally and professionally in this area after completing the curriculum.

The curriculum represents the work of 40 researchers, practitioners, administrators, and policymakers, and youth from a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds. It is grounded in the work of scholars of color and Indigenous scholars who have thought and written about issues related to institutional and individual racism, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

We hope this curriculum will benefit and inform the work of the many organizations and individuals that are working to improve the quality of life and educational opportunities for Black Indigenous Youth of Color (BIYOC).

Best,

Sandra Hughes-Hassell, Ph.D.
Professor
YALSA Immediate Past President, 2018-2019
The University of North Carolina